WIDE AWAKE
by stoppingtosmellroses
Summary: SEQUEL TO "Life Vs Love". After the war, fem!Harry Brooke, has traveled to Mystic Falls to find out why her birth certificate says her parents are the Gilberts. She'll have to find out how much harder life can get in a town full of vampires, witches, and werewoves, all well being torn between new vampire Damon Salvatore, and her wizarding love, George Weasley.
1. Chapter 1

**QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE, THEN THE STORY!**

Okay, so before reading this, you need to know a few things. First, Elena never existed. It goes by the television TVD, not books. Brooke and Stefan may seem flirty with each other at first, but that's over before the end of this chapter. The love triangle will be her, Damon, and George. There's not much about that in this chapter, but plenty in the next, so please read. Any questions, just please ask me. Also, it starts with the TVD pilot, then kind of jumps to Episode 5. Feel free to PM me suggestions! Enjoy and remember that reviews mean updates!

Chapter 1 

_September 1, 2011_

_Dear Diary,_

_ Well, I turned 18 years old a month ago yesterday. And now I'm going to muggle high school for the first time in my life. Today should be interesting. It's also going to be different. I'm going to make my life different today. I'm going to smile at people I don't know, and tell the few that I do know that I'm fine. I'm not going to be that depressing girl with the scar who kept losing her loved ones. I'm going to start fresh, and be a new person. That's the only way to get through all of this._

_-Brooke_

I put my pen down on my nightstand, closed my journal, and placed it adjacent to the writing utensil. Standing up from where I was leaning against the headboard of my bed, I took a few long strides over to my mirror, where I eyed myself carefully.

I was Brooke Gilbert. Or, Brooke Potter? I used to be Brooke Potter, but I still shared some physical similarities with the person I was. I was still nearly six feet tall. I had my long, wavy, raven black hair. I had pale skin, and bright green eyes. I had a scar shaped like a lightning bolt on my forehead, but it had began fading at the start of my sixth year at Hogwarts.

But I wouldn't think about that. About the people there. For now, I had to adapt to this life. The one I was meant to live.

Back to the point, the lightning bolt scar wasn't even noticeable anymore, allowing me to ditch the bangs I had on my forehead and pull some hair off my eyes. I did, however, always wear it down, to hide the fresh scar I received just four months earlier. The long, ugly, line running up and down the right side of my face, just off my hairline.

Realizing it was showing, I ran my fingers through my dark locks, and they adjusted over the scar.

_Much better._

Now dressed in non-heeled brown cowgirl boots, and a rose-pink and black dress, I made my way down the stair towards the kitchen towards Jenna and Jeremy.

"Hey, how about toast? That's something I know how to make!" suggested Aunt Jenna. She looked as if she were ready to pull her hair out.

"It's all good, Aunt Jenna. The only thing that actually matters is the coffee," I responded, pouring myself a paper cup of the drink. Jenna looked relieved that she didn't need to worry about cooking at the moment. I turned to face the sound of another entering the room.

"We have coffee?" asked Jeremy, strutting into the room, dressed in his baggy jeans, emo-rock band t-shirt, and black hoodie. He ran a hand through his messy, light brown hair, and poured himself some coffee after I handed him the pot. I know I'd only met Jeremy a few months earlier, but he was my little brother, and I was worried about this 'phase,' he was going through, as Jenna had put it.

Speaking of Jenna, she'd left already, muttering something about being late for a meeting about a thesis. I hoped she'd get there on time. I didn't want her late because of us.

Returning my attention to Jeremy, I stood at eye-level with him, and asked, "Are you okay?"

Rolling his eyes, he responded with, "Don't even start," before grabbing his coffee, and leaving the room. I sighed in frustration, leaning against the counter top, thinking back to just over 3 months ago.

_3 and a Half Months Ago_

_ "I'm so sorry that you had to come and get me," I spoke in the tensionless car to my long-lost parents. I was such a git. I'd gotten lost in my new town of Mystic Falls, and had to call Greyson and Miranda to come get me._

_ "Don't worry about it, sweetheart," responded my newfound father._

_ "Your dad's right. You're new to this town, to this country! No one's expecting you to know your way around after just a week. And besides, we're your parents. When you need help we're at your side. It's our job." She'd said it having turned around in her seat to face me with a motherly smile._

_ I supposed she was right. I had only been there a week. But it was still embarrassing. Mystic Falls was a small town, and I couldn't figure out my way around it._

_ After leaving the Weasley's and Hermione, I'd set out to figure out what the hell was going on, and why a dumb piece of paper was telling me my parents were not Lily and James Potter. It was very strange. I'd just kind of showed up on the Gilberts' porch, and when they'd opened the door, all I could say was, "Hi, there. Um, I'm Brooke, and I just wanted to find out if you knew anything about why my birth certificate says that you're my parents."_

_ Miranda had gasped, gripping her husband's arm. Greyson only stared back in shock. After a few more moments of this, he'd invited me inside to sit down and talk, and we'd work everything out after a few hours._

_ It had turned out that Lily and James Potter were looking for someone's followers (deatheaters, alright?) in America when I'd been born by the Gilberts. Lily was injured, having been cursed by one of the followers, and Greyson had found she and her husband. He decided to take them in and help them, but when he couldn't assess her injuries, she and James had to explain everything to Miranda and Greyson. The four of them came to the conclusion that the deatheaters believed Lily and James to be dead after the encounter. Greyson and Miranda had then revealed to the other couple that they, too, were mixed up with some 'bad guys.' There was a supernatural force, unknown, coming for their newborn baby. Lily and James had shared a knowing look, and both offered to watch over the baby. At first, Miranda protested, but Greyson saw the point they were getting to. It had all made sense. The force looking for the Gilbert baby, or, me, wouldn't know where the baby was, and the Potters were thought to be dead. If they took the baby home with them, it would be safe. And besides, they'd always wanted a child, but couldn't raise one while they were being hunted. Since that was no longer an issue, an agreement was made. The Gilberts would give me to the Potters, so that I could be kept safe._

_ I wanted to cry. So Lily and James weren't my parents. It was by coincidence that I had her eyes. And I was not the half-blood witch I'd thought I was. I was muggle-born. Not that there was anything wrong with that. It all just came as a shock._

_ After they'd shared their side of the story with me, I'd went on to share mine. I told them of how just over a year after the Potters adopted me, word had gotten out that they were actually alive, and Voldemort (who I also explained to them), came to the new home in Godric's Hollow to kill them, as well as I. I told them everything from my destroying Voldemort as a baby and being sent to my aunt and uncle, to finding out I was witch and starting at Hogwarts, to spending seven years working my way up to end Voldemort once and for all. _

_ When all was said and done, Miranda and Greyson had thrown their arms around me and began apologizing for letting me leave all those years ago. They promised that nothing would separate us again. They also informed me that they knew how much the Potters loved me, from the way I spoke of them. Then they introduced me to my little brother, Jeremy, who was not so little. Jeremy, who we'd decided before hand, would have no knowledge of this magical world. I'd told them I would no longer use magic, since it seemed to always get people hurt, and I wasn't going to let that happen to them._

_ Back to what was happening in the car, I'd noticed we were now driving over Wickery Bridge, which I'd grown quite fond of in my time there. That was, until, something when wrong, and the car drove straight off of it, killing my parents, who I'd known for only a week._

_ I'd woken up on the shore, surrounded by paramedics, perfectly fine._

_Present_

Awoken out of my daydream by the horn of a car beeping, I grabbed my bookbag, and ran outside to meet Bonnie, one of the few friends I'd made since coming to Mystic Falls.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Bonnie was rattling on about how she was probably a witch.

_If only she knew._

"Brooke!" I turned to face her after staring out the window for a few minutes. "Back in the car!" She smiled at my blank expression.

"Sorry, Bonnie, I zoned out again. You were telling me about Heath Ledger, or something?" I said, shaking my previous thoughts out of my head.

Her grin continued to glow. "Yes, I'm psychic. But that's not what matters right now. What matters is that, with the exception of Matt, Caroline, Tyler, and myself, you know no other person in the student body. And they are going to tear you apart with that _jolly good_ accent," she joked.

I laughed in return. "Okay, I think if they could deal with it, everyone else could, too. Besides, it's lessened since I came here."

Our good time was interrupted when she stopped short after a crow hit the windshield. We both shrieked.

"Brooke, are you okay?" she asked me with concern.

"I'm fine," I responded hesitantly. It wasn't like I was afraid of cars. The truth was, I just hadn't fancied them since they'd killed my loving new parents after I'd just met them.

Bonnie sat back in her seat, and, after sighing in relief, began driving towards school again. After a few minutes, she spoke up.

"With my psychic powers, I am declaring that I know that senior year is going to be kick-ass! Especially with you around!" she exclaimed with a smile.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It was a while later that we were at our lockers, and Caroline had stood slightly on her toes and engulfed me in a hug, asking how I was doing as if I weredying.

"You saw me last week at the grill, Caroline," I said when she asking if I was dealing with everything alright.

"I know, it's just that all that happened before the summer, plus it's you're first time in an American high school, I though you might be stressed. But I guess you're doing just fine! See you guys later!" she finished with a perky smile, before strutting away.

Bonnie and I turned to each other. "No comment," was all I said, and by the way Bonnie was laughing, I felt like I was already doing a pretty good job at fitting in. We shut our lockers, and started towards our homerooms.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It was now two nights later, and I was taking a stroll with Stefan Salvatore. I'd met him three times before hand. First, in the men's room. But that was a whole other story, having to do with Jeremy and his idiotic need to destroy his body with drugs. Second, in the graveyard, where freaky fog had appeared out of nowhere, and I'd run into him after tripping. What had happened next was even weirder. He couldn't look at me after he'd seen the blood on my leg, and out of nowhere, disappeared. Normally, I'd blame it on magic. But I was trying so hard not to jump to that conclusion. Besides, all wizarding schools were in session at this time of the year, so no one around my age would be using magic. The third time I'd met Stefan was when he showed up at my door, returning my diary to me. He was so sweet, saying that he'd never read another person's thoughts, their memories.

And now, we were walking away from the party neither of us wanted to be at, and he was asking about my mysterious demeanor after I'd questioned him about his.

"It's not exactly party talk," I'd told him, not wanting to bring up a subject to lie about.

"I'm not into party talk, if that's okay." He smiled warmly at me.

"Alright, but you asked for it," I warned him. He chuckled lightly. "A few months ago, I met my real family after living my whole life with my adoptive aunt and uncle in England, hence the dumb accent. I was new to this town, just like you, I guess, and I got lost, so they had to come pick me up. While my father was driving, something happened, and our car went over Wickery Bridge and into the lake. They died. I didn't. I'd only known them for a week. And that's it." I was no longer looking him in the eye. What I'd said was all he needed to know. I couldn't go revealing the magical world to muggles.

As I kept on walking, I realized that he'd stopped. Turning around to face him, I saw him take a small step closer to me, and, holding my hand, say, "You won't feel like this forever, Brooke."

"Oh, I don't think you understand the whole story," I chuckled, looking down at my shoes.

"But I'm sure I will in time." I looked up at him curiously. "I want to get close to you. I want know more about you. And I want you to know that the accent isn't dumb. I like it."

Looking back at him, I pulled my hand out of his, and said hesitantly, "Thanks, but I'm not looking for a relationship or anything like that right now." This had just gotten awkward, and now I couldn't help but think of George. Great.

"Neither am I!" He immediately cleared up. "I'm sorry. I should have worded that better. I meant I want us to be friends. I'm just getting over an ex, and it's really weird how much you look like her, minus the eyes. I just think that you seem like a really cool person, and I think we'd be great friends."

"Oh, wow," I spoke, relieved. "I feel stupid. But, okay, yeah, I think we'd be great friends, too." I was smiling now.

"Great," he grinned back. We started back towards the party, After a few minutes, he asked, "Is that how you got the scar? The accident?"

My hand immediately shot up to my forehead, not realizing that the faded lightning bolt wasn't what Stefan was talking about. When I did, I ran my fingers up and down the fresh one that my hair was supposed to be covering. Then I began t fix my hair, hiding the wound once more. "Um, no, I got that a while earlier, in England. That's a story you're definitely not hearing for a while."

"I'm sorry if my asking made you uncomfortable. The breeze blew your hair off your face before, so I asked." He looked apologetic.

"It's no problem. Really," I said, trying to help him from feeling bad. It was hard considering that the question had struck a nerve, bringing back the memory of jumping off the astronomy tower, locked onto Voldemort.

We talked a little longer, mostly about the people I'd made friends with since coming to Mystic Falls. Then I'd gone home. Jeremy had told me he was getting a ride home from Vicki and Matt. I wasn't worried.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

A few days later, things started to settle down after all the commotion. Some animal had attacked Vicki, as well as other citizens of Mystic Falls. It was getting really weird.

The weirdness had turned to happiness at one point, because I'd finally found someone to share my secret with: Bonnie. It had turned out that she really was a witch, and even though she was just beginning to learn magic, she didn't seem to need a wand.

_Maybe it's an American thing._

It was great. I was showing her all the basics, and she was helping me to learn wandless magic. We were both excelling, and I'd told her everything about my life. She was now the one person in town who really knew me. Not even Jenna knew about magic. My parents hadn't told her, and I wasn't intending to either.

One bad thing, however, was that Caroline was having random blackouts, areas of memory where she didn't remember anything. I'd also seen her wounds, all too similar to those of the animal attack victims. And it'd started with her beginning to date Damon Salvatore, Stefan's brother.

When I'd asked Stefan why he seemed so unhappy that his brother was in town, all he's said was that they had bad history. I'd left it at that, figuring he'd tell me eventually. But I wasn't going to lie. I was worried.

It wasn't until Stefan started acting weirdly about certain things, and when I'd done some research that I began to piece together a puzzle about him and Damon.

They didn't grow old.

They never got hurt.

They changed in unexplainable ways.

Bodies were drained of their blood.

If my education at Hogwarts served me correctly, I knew what was going on. They were vampires. It was most definitely magical. But I had to be sure. So that's why I was banging on the Salvatore Boarding house door at 11 at night.

Stefan answered, looking extremely angry, and I could see Damon stand behind him, staring at me like he knew I'd figured something out.

Just as Stefan was about to ask if I was okay, I cut him off, out of breath from running there.

"What the _hell_ are you two?"

**PLEASE REVIEW! SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER BY TOMORROW!**


	2. Chapter 2

**QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE, THEN THE STORY!**

I wanted to respond to a question I was asked: Will we being seeing the Originals in this story? My answer is that I can't even describe the part they're going to play in this. They are so huge in this and will become man characters in a few chapters. They're relationships to Brooke are going to be very personal.

And, in case you guys didn't notice in the last chapter, the story skips around a little, or a lot. That's only for the first season of TVD. After founder's day, it pays closer attention to each episode. George won't make his appearance for a few more chapters, but please let me know if you'd like a flashback with him. As for this chapter, tons of fun Brooke/Damon (they need a ship name). Their relationship will have gotten very serious within the next three chapters. Enjoy!

Chapter 2 

_ "What the hell are you two?"_

Stefan began to open his mouth, but quickly snapped it shut, speechless.

I shoved past him, striding with purpose into the house, eyeing him and Damon carefully.

Stefan shut the door and turned to face me. "You already know, don't you?"

"Well, of course I know! Why else would I be here?" I snapped back at him.

"Calm her down, Stefan. I've got a bit of a headache after sitting in the vervain-filled cell for a week," spoke Damon, pouring himself a drink.

"Brooke, _please_, let me explain," he spoke gently, slowly approaching me.

"Stay away from me! I know what you're capable of! Both of you!" I shouted, turning some of the attention to Damon.

Looking up at his brother, Damon said, "Great, Stefan, you let our secret out. Now I've gotta clean up your mess." He turned to me. "Don't worry, Brooke, I'll make you forget all about this."

As he started towards me at an impossible speed, I shot up my hand and, using the wandless magic I'd worked on with Bonnie, screamed, "_Stupefy_!" Damon flew through the air and landed on a table across the room. I could hear him groan.

I turned to Stefan. Tell me how you're both related to the animal attacks around town, or I'll do the same to you," I warned, my hand still raised.

He took a step back. "Alright, you know that we're vampires. I drink the blood on animals, and Damon feeds on humans. We're the original Salvatore brothers. Now how about a little info on what _you_ are?"

Realizing I'd just exposed myself as a witch, I figured there was no way out now. Just as Damon was standing up, now deciding not to cross me again, in fear of what I might do next, I told him to sit down. Stefan did the same beside his brother. I paced back and forth across the room, telling them my story. I was very brief though. All I'd said was that I was a witch who'd studied at Hogwarts, and that a dark wizard named Voldemort had been taking over in the magical community for a few years since his last downfall, and I killed him. That was all there was to know.

When I was done talking, I looked to them for their responses, leaning against the fireplace. Stefan looked off into the distance, his jaw hanging open. Damon looked at me like I had three heads. "That's impossible!" he stated. "You're from a founding family! I would have known if the Gilbert women were witches!"

"Muggle-born," I spoke as if it were common knowledge.

"Gah!" he exclaimed. He shot up and turned to look down at Stefan. "This is what happens when we don't keep in touch with the Ministry of Magic for more than 50 years! And I hope you're happy! You've been BFFs with a witch for two weeks and didn't even know it!"

Stefan shook his head and rose beside his brother. Facing me, he said, "I still trust you, Brooke. I know that you won't hurt me because you trust me, too. So how about the three of us just try to get along so we don't burn down Mystic Falls?"

"I'm fine with that," I agreed. "Just as long as the 'animal attacks' stop." I was eyeing Damon now.

Rolling his eyes, he exclaimed, "Fine! I'll stick to the blood bags! But only because you're such a feisty thing." He winked, and as he walked past me, gave a small pat on my backside.

"_Petrificus Totalus_," I chanted with an attitude, and he froze up. I strutted over to his immobile body. "Touch my ass again, and I'll use a spell to hang you from the chandelier by your junk," I threatened with a smirk.

As the spell began to wear off, Damon gulped.

Stefan quickly jumped in to break up our miniature showdown. "Okay! So, starting now, Damon doesn't attack people, Brooke doesn't attack Damon and I, and the three of us work together for the greater good of Mystic Falls! Deal?" He attempted to be cheery.

"Deal," Damon and I spoke in sync. This would be fun.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

And it was. A boring day hadn't gone by in Mystic Falls. Vicki had been turned into a vampire, before the three of us had struck our deal of course, and had then been staked to death when she tried to attack me on Halloween. _Not_ a great first impression the American tradition had given me.

It had, however, showed me a new side to Damon. I didn't know how to use my magic to take away Jeremy's memory of Vicki as a vampire without taking away other memories, so when I'd ask Stefan to compel him and he refused, Damon stepped it. He asked me what I'd wanted Jeremy to remember and I'd told him. Much later that night, I found Damon on my porch, and asked why he'd done that for me. He responded with, "Because, Brooke, there are some pains that we don't deserve to feel." He put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye saying it. I was in no danger of being compelled. I'd been drinking the vervain, and wearing a necklace Stefan had filled with the stuff.

"Goodnight, Brooke," Damon had finished, and before I knew it, he was out of sight.

Besides that, Logan Fell had figured out Stefan and Damon's secret, so when he'd attacked them, and Damon had killed him, I didn't protest. My reasons were that, (1) he was an ass to Aunt Jenna, and (2) I'd grown to care for both Stefan and Damon. So I figured they were being threatened, then killing humans was really self-defense. I didn't ponder over it.

Stefan's old friend Lexi had showed up, and, when she'd made herself a little too noticeable, Damon had staked her. _That_ had me fuming. Not nearly as much as Stefan, but I was still upset. I'd like Lexi, and Damon was lucky Stefan didn't kill him. He'd said it was all part of his plan. His psycho plan to resurrect Katherine, that ex-girlfriend of theirs from 1864, the one whom Stefan had said I'd looked similar to.

And then, Logan reappeared, but as a vampire. That was also a problem. He'd attacked Damon, and then taken Caroline hostage. Luckily, Stefan and Damon had taken care of that.

Also in the past few weeks, I'd grown closer to Stefan, and even Damon, becoming more detailed about my life before Mystic Falls than I'd originally let on.

That was exactly why I'd stormed out of the boarding house and into my car (which I'd learned to drive over the summer) after seeing Stefan's picture of Katherine.

We'd been hanging out like we always did, and while he went to get us some sodas, I'd taken a look around and come across the picture. She looked exactly like me. She looked like my clone. The only difference was my scars, and the fact that she had dark brown eyes, while mine were bright green. She was even wearing my necklace. Or was it her necklace?

I'd come to think of Stefan as my best friend, especially since I was on the rocks with Bonnie after all the vampire stuff had come up. So when I'd discovered that I was there only to keep him company in the place of Katherine, I was furious. Ditching the necklace, and driving away, even after he'd begged me to let him explain, on the way home, a person had come up on the road out of nowhere, and I'd hit him, my car flipping over in the process. I was shocked at first, but not nearly as shocked as when I looked over to find the person I'd hit now standing, and quickly approaching me.

_ This can't be good. _

I searched my mind for any spell to get me out of this, but could think of none, since I'd hit my head so violently in the crash.

So I was lucky as all hell when Damon had scared him off and gently pulled me out of the car window. All I could remember after that was him holding me tenderly, and my telling him, "I look like her," before passing out.

That brings us to the next part of the story, where I was waking up with a headache in Damon's Chevy convertible.

"Welcome to Georgia, Sleeping Beauty," he greeted me with a smile when I turned to face him. I rubbed my head.

"Stop kidding, Damon, where are we?" I wasn't in the mood for a playful banter with him. And as for Georgia, that was another state in the US, right?

"Georgia. Now moving onto much more important things, how do you feel? Your bones aren't broken, so that's not a problem." He was looking at me with concern now, all playfulness having vanished.

"I'm fine," I answered. "But we can't be in Georgia. Jenna and Jeremy don't know where I am. Where's my phone? And my car! It's totaled! And the man I hit! He got up! How did he do that! Is he like you?" A million thoughts were racing through my head and I didn't like it.

"Will you relax, Brooke? You're fine. You're with me," he said with a wink. I sighed. He continued. "And as for the guy you hit, I'm wondering the same thing you are. Which is why we're going to Georgia."

"Please pull over," I demanded sternly.

Knowing what I was capable of, Damon slowed the car down, and, stopping on the side of the road, muttered, "You're more fun unconscious."

When the car had fully stopped, I unbuckled my seat belt, and climbed out to stretch. Apparently though, I'd looked weak, because in a second, Damon was at my side supporting me.

"I'm fine," I assured him.

_ Why is he being so nice to me?_

"You sure?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together in worry.

Before I could respond, "Teeth" by Lady Gaga began to play. "That's my phone," I announced accusingly.

Rather than say something sarcastic as he handed me the iPhone, he just stared in disbelief over my choice in ringtone.

"What?" I asked, defending myself. "I though it was funny, considering my choice in friends." I looked down to see it was Stefan calling, and handed the phone back to him. "Nevermind, I don't want it."

Taking it and looking at the caller ID himself, Damon shrugged and hit the answer button, then, putting the phone to his ear, greeted Stefan with, "Hello, you've reached Brooke. Brooke is too pissed off to answer your call now, so please leave a message at the beep…beeeep."

Damon went on to talk to Stefan a little longer, mostly teasing him, then hung up.

"I wanna go back, Damon."

Eye-level with me, he said, "Look, whatever problems you're having with BFF Stefan right now are still gonna be there when you get back. So how about you and I enjoy Georgia for a while? Get to know each other a little better? Take a _time-out_?"

I was hesitant at first, but eventually gave in. "Fine, but under these conditions? You keep me safe, and I won't use magic on you. You don't do that compelling thingy on me. And you show me that I can trust you."

"Done, done, and done, Brooke. Now let's go have some fun." He saw me into the car safely, then, using his vampire speed, got in on his side, and we drove off.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It was about an hour later that I was at Bree's Bar having lunch with Damon.

As I picked at my burger, my appetite nowhere to be found, I'd explained to him how I'd found the picture of the vampire, Katherine, and was now asking if it was possible fore me to be part-vampire should I somehow be related to her.

"Katherine must have had a child before she turned if you two are related. Vampires can't reproduce…but we _love_ to try," he said with a wink, popping another pickle into his mouth. I laughed. I hated to admit it, but his sexual innuendos were really starting to grow on me.

"Gah, I wish I knew this stuff about vampires. I think that was the one class I never took at Hogwarts, probably because I never got to take my seventh year."

"Don't worry, before you know it, you're gonna know all this vamp stuff like the back of your hand." He patted me on the back as Bree brought him another beer.

Eyeing it, I spoke up. "Hey, Bree, can I have one of those?"

She looked to Damon for approval, who only stared at me in shock.

"Relax, Damon," I said. "I've had alcohol before." And I had. My sixth year at Hogwarts, Seamus had gotten his hands on some Firewhiskey, so we Gryffindors had a bit of a party in the common room after we'd won the Quidditch Cup.

Damon, shrugged, grinning from ear to ear, probably at the though of me drunk, and nodded at Bree. It wasn't like I'd give him the satisfaction of seeing me hammered.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Okay, so I'd given him the satisfaction. I'd gotten completely trashed. But at least I'd drunk every bitch in that bar under the table, including Damon.

My drunkenness was not very helpful though, when another vampire, Lexi's ex-boyfriend, apparently, had attacked Damon. Well, technically he'd attacked me, then lured Damon in, then attacked Damon. Anyway, it was a good thing that I'd sobered up enough in time to convince the guy not to kill Damon.

It was the next morning when Damon was driving us back to Mystic Falls. "Teeth" was playing on the car radio. How ironic.

"So why did you take me with you?" I inquired, truly wanting to know.

"Well, you're not such a drag, Brooke," he said sarcastically.

"C'mon."

"Alright, for a few reasons. You were sitting there in the wreckage of your car, being the classic 'Damsel in Distress.' I just had to save you. Plus, it'd totally piss off BFF Stefan, and, in all honesty, Brooke, you're not such a drag." He'd finished his list with a smile.

I laughed back at him. And it'd been a while since I'd really done that. "I was a whole lot more fun when I was at Hogwarts. A real party-girl," I spoke with a wink.

"So tell me about it," he said seriously. And I did. I told him all about the wonderful memories I had at Hogwarts, about all the wonderful times I'd had with my friends, about the Weasley's, about meeting Sirius, even a tiny bit about George. And he'd listened to the whole thing, commenting occasionally to let me know he was listening. It felt wonderful. Since I'd come to Mystic Falls, the only times I'd ever had to share my story, all I got out was all the painful and terrible parts. But now, I was reminded of the joy.

Our road trip concluded when he dropped me off at home, walking me to my door. "Thank you for the _time-out_, Damon." I turned around to go inside, but he gently grasped my wrist and I spun to face him.

"Brooke, I want you to know that I'm your friend. And that I'm not lying when I say you can trust me. So if you ever need someone to talk to, about any of your thoughts, I'm here." He'd nearly whispered it all, leaning his face into mine. Before I knew it, his lips were brushing against mine, and my eyes were closing. We both zoned into our own little worlds, but I eventually pulled away, in shock.

"Oh, my god! That's weird! That's weird because you're Damon, and because I shouldn't be getting involved in things like this, and because you're trying to bring your ex back from the dead! Okay! This is weird! Goodnight, Damon! I'll see you tomorrow!" I rattled on, not looking him in the eye, and I quickly opened up the front door, stepped in and shut it behind me. I hadn't even seen Damon's face to comprehend his reaction.

And now, I was ending my day with a chew-out from Jenna. Lovely.

**PLEASE REVIEW! SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER BY TONIGHT!**


	3. Chapter 3

**QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE, THEN THE STORY!**

This is the last chapter taking place in season one. They're about to get more detailed with plots, and I'm changing some things. For example: Damon didn't kill Jeremy. You'll notice that in the next chapter. George won't make his appearance for a few more chapters, but please let me know if you'd like a flashback with him. As for this chapter, some Brooke/Damon (they need a ship name) fluff. Their relationship will have gotten very serious within the next three chapters. Enjoy!

Chapter 3 

I thought about everything that had happened in the past few weeks as I watched countless vampires drop to the ground in the town square.

Jeremy found out about everything I'd kept from him when he'd read my diary, which, after that, I'd stopped writing in.

Since my road trip with Damon, we'd found a very powerful allie in my history teacher, Alaric Saltzman. He'd also turned out to be the widowed husband of my vampire mother, bringing me to my next point.

I'd found out that, yet again, my parents were not who I thought they were. Miranda and Greyson had lied to Lily and James when they'd told them that I was their baby. What had really happened was a few weeks prior to meeting the Potters, Greyson was leaving his office when his kid brother and girlfriend showed up late. His 16-year-old girlfriend, enter Isobel, was going into labor. Greyson helped the girl give birth, and while he was checking up on the baby, or me, Isobel disappeared. Realizing that Greyson's brother, my 'Uncle' John, couldn't take care of a baby, Greyson made it look like the baby belonged to he and Miranda. It went well, and Gresyon, being a doctor, was even able to forge my birth certificate, hence why it read the Gilberts as my parents.

Now, having the screwed up life that I do, I would generally be briefly pissed about being lied to, but then turn ecstatic over the fact that I had yet another chance at parents. This time, however, was different. And that was because John was attempting to kill my vampire friends (it was a good thing he'd had no idea I was a witch, or he would have tried to get me to help him), and Isobel was already a psycho vampire, she was part of my bloodline to Katherine, and she was also Katherine's bitch.

Not the perfect parents. In fact, I kind of preferred the dead ones. And seeing as there was nothing magical about John and Isobel (albeit the vampirism), I still turned out to be muggle-born.

Speaking of Katherine, she'd been very important in the events of the past few weeks as well. Stefan and I had helped Damon try to get her out of the tomb, but that plan had backfired when it turned out she'd never been trapped at all. She was perfectly capable of finding Damon, but she simply didn't give a rat's ass. It pained me to remember holding Damon as he silently cried over his unrequited love.

After that though, Damon was extremely pissed, so anyone that even tried to get a message across from Katherine, was found lying on the ground seeing stars floating around their head.

Another downside to Katherine not being in the tomb was that since our plan had gone down the drain, we'd accidently released all the tomb vampires, and they wanted all the founding families dead, but I'm getting to that. The strain of the spell on Bonnie, her grandmother, and I had also killed her Grams. It turned out that Damon had actually felt really bad about that.

Speaking of Damon, since our trip to Georgia, he and I had been spending a lot of time together lately. He'd stepped in as my escort at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant when Stefan had gone a bit blood-crazy, and he'd been keeping his promise of not senselessly killing random people. In fact, it had come to my attention that in the weeks since our trip, the only time he resorted to violence was when it meant protecting me.

_'It's because he's in love with you,'_ Isobel's words echoed in my mind. But she was lying. She'd say whatever it took to get what she wanted. That was another thing. She'd come to town threatening everyone because she wanted the Gilbert device, something that my ancestor had invented to point out vampires so they could be hunted. We had no problem giving it to her after Bonnie and I used a two-person spell to take away its effects. At least, we'd thought we'd taken away its effects.

The idea of a two-person spell is to use two people. They both need to try as hard as they can, or the magic won't work. I'd done my part, but Bonnie apparently hadn't done hers.

That brought us to what was going on now. When Damon approached Stefan and I, he informed us of how I was in danger, just like every other founding family member in the town square. The vampires were after us, but they were stopped when the Gilbert device began to work. I immediately figured out that Bonnie had lied when she'd told me that she'd done her part in the spell.

_ Some friend._

And now, Stefan, my best friend, was on his knees, writhing in pain as he held his head, eyes shut tight.

"Stefan! What's wrong?" I asked frantically, trying to help my blood-sucking friend up.

He couldn't respond, but luckily Ric had made his way over and helped me get Stefan to a safer area.

"Ric, it's the Gilbert device! It must be working! He just dropped!" I tried to explain without completely panicking.

"I know, and he's not the only one," he responded. "All the vampires in the square are dropping, and the Sheriff's deputies are knocking them out with vervain."

Stefan immediately calmed down, all pain gone from his features. "They're rounding up all the vampires," he announced. "We have to find Damon."

"You're right," I agreed, and then turned to Ric. "Can take Jeremy home? We'll handle this."

He nodded his head. "Good luck." He sprinted away, in search of my brother.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It was a few minutes later that we were on our way to my family's old property, where Stefan had heard the vampires burning. We were stopped by my 'father,' John.

"It's over for Damon, but please, Stefan, go try to help him. When you burn with the rest of them, it'll save me the trouble of staking you myself," John said with a victorious grin.

Stefan looked to me, and when I nodded, he sprinted off towards the building. I started to follow, but was held back by John.

"Move one more step, and I'll tell the cops that they missed one," he threatened, gripping my arm. I stared at him in disbelief. "Keep looking at me like that. It won't change my mind."

"You know, you haven't made a very nice impression on me, _father dear_," I spat back at him.

His grip loosened. "You know?" he asked, shell-shocked.

"Yeah," I responded. "And so far, I'm kind of wishing I could go back to having the dead parents rather than you. _Alarte Ascendare_!" John flew back through the air and landed on the ground with a thud. After giving myself a mental pat on the back, I ran off to help Stefan rescue Damon.

By the time I'd made it to the back of the building, Stefan was nowhere to be found, but Bonnie was. She stopped me as I tried to sprint past her through the door. "Don't go in there, Brooke! The fire will kill you!" she pleaded with me.

"I have to! Damon and Stefan are both in there! And we wouldn't be having this problem if you had just done your part of that spell!" I shouted back at her.

She looked at me in utter disbelief. "How can you side with them?" she argued. "They're monsters!"

"I care about them, Bonnie! They're my friends!" She released my wrist, and took a step back.

"Fine, then I'm not. From this day forward, Brooke, consider me an enemy." She walked away.

Rather than waste time standing there, being shocked, I ran into the building and found Stefan. "Go!" I shouted. "I'll calm down the fire!"

He opened the door quickly as I began chanting. My eyes shut, I phased into my own world of magic, using more than I could remember since the Battle of Hogwarts.

When I was done, I opened my eyes and saw Damon and Stefan in front of me, the latter holding my shoulders, asking if I was alright, and the former rising from his knees, coughing, then asking me the same. We were standing outside the building.

I responded with, "I'm fine," but the truth was that I had a massive headache.

"Then why are you bleeding?" Damon asked wearily after releasing a groan.

My hand moved to my nose, and when I pulled it way to look at it, my finger tips were stained red.

"It's just because I've never used that much wandless magic before. It's nothing to worry about," I explained. "What about you two?"

"We're fine, right, Stef?" inquired Damon. His brother nodded. "Alright, I've got something to take care of. I'll see you guys later." And he was gone.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

A few hours later, I was walking home. Dreaming in my own little world about the night's event, and not paying attention, I bumped into someone on the sidewalk. It was Damon.

"Sorry, Damon! I wasn't paying attention? Are you okay, you know, after tonight?" I asked, worried about him.

He stared back at me in shock. "But you were just- How did you- I was just with-," he spluttered out.

"What are you talking about, Damon?" Now he had me confused.

Getting his bearings, he said, "I was just with you on your porch. What are you doing here?"

"Damon, I've been walking home for 20 minutes. What's going on?"

"_No_, we were on your porch, and I told you how I felt about you." I stared at him. "We kissed, Brooke?"

I straightened up. "Damon, we haven't," my voice dropped to a whisper, "_kissed_ since we got back from Georgia."

His confused face was beginning to scare me. "But if that wasn't you then who…?" His features looked knowledgeable, as if he'd figured something out. "_Katherine_," he whispered.

I understood immediately. "Oh, my god," I gasped, and we took off towards my house. Bursting through the door, we both raced towards the kitchen where the first thing we saw was John, bleeding out on the floor. The next thing we saw was my doppelganger, gently pulling something green out of her chocolate brown eyes. She looked at us with a devious smile on her face.

Just before she disappeared, she spoke. "Colored contact lenses are a _bitch_, aren't they?"

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Later that night, or should I say, early the next morning, Damon approached me as I sat in a chair in the hospital waiting room. We'd already cleared up the Jeremy was fine, and Stefan was at home with him, but I was waiting to see John.

Taking a seat beside me, he said, "I fed Caroline a little bit of my blood, and she's already starting to come around." That made me feel slightly better.

"Thank you, Damon." I sighed, leaned back, and closed my eyes.

"Hey, come here, relax," he said pulling me into a hug. I leaned into his chest, finding comfort.

We'd both gone silent, but eventually I thought of something he'd mentioned earlier. "Hey," I spoke, looking up at him, "you said something on the sidewalk. About telling me how you feel?"

His slightly tanned face turned a bit whiter. "Oh, yeah, about that-"

A nurse cut him off. "Are you Brooke Gilbert?" I nodded. "Please come with me."

As we walked with her, Damon whispered in my ear, "We'll talk about that later."

The nurse led us to a room where John was seen sleeping, connected to various wires and tubes.

Damon walked along side me towards John. When he noticed our presence and awoke, he gasped at the sight of me, reaching for the button, which would alert a nurse.

Using vampire speed, Damon snatched it out of his hands, and said, "Not so fast, tough guy," with a smirk. John stared on in terror.

I realized the issue. "I'm Brooke, not Katherine." John relaxed slightly. "But I do need to know why she did this to you."

"Where is she?" John gasped, pained.

"You think we'd be here, visiting you, if we knew that, Stupid?" questioned Damon playfully. The corners of my mouth twitched upward at the remark.

"Don't expect me to help _you_," John spat at Damon.

"How about your daughter then?"

John looked towards me, and after digging it out of my pocket, I handed him his ring. "Please, John, tell me why Katherine wants you dead."

He redirected his attention back to Damon. "If she were my daughter, she would have used her powers to kill you long ago."

I moved between him and Damon, and shoved my face closer to John's. "Smart, John. You figured out that I'm a witch. And you're right, she would have. But I'm not her. I'm a girl who was raised with nothing but pain and suffering to her name. You have no idea what I've had to sacrifice, what I've had to endure since you knocked up your high school girlfriend and left your brother to clean up your mess. Stay the hell away from me, and stay the hell away from Jeremy," I spoke through gritted teeth. I snapped up, turned, and strutted out of the room.

Only a few moments later in the parking lot, Damon was at my side. "Nice job in there. _Fiesty_."

I laughed at his remark. "What about you? Took you a while to meet me out here. What'd you say to him?"

Damon shrugged. "I figured out that he never spoke to Katherine directly and, you know, told him to leave town or I'd turn him into a vampire," he informed me nonchalantly.

I nodded. "Whatever works."

**PLEASE REVIEW! SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER BY TONIGHT!**


	4. Chapter 4

**QUICK AUTHOR'S NOTE, THEN THE STORY!**

Just a warning, the order of things that happen on the show is about to get changed up. For example, getting kidnapped by Rose and Trevor will come before the masquerade. There are reasons I'm doing this. I don't want to focus so much on the 'Kill Katherine' idea since she's not even a threat, but she'll still be a part of the story. I want to get the Originals involved as quickly as possible. The chapters should be easy to follow since they'll be detailed from now on. Thank you! And expect upcoming George mixed with serious Brooke/Damon within the next 3 chapters! Enjoy! Review!

Chapter 4 

A few days later, after Caroline had been turned and Bonnie had threatened to kill her, Stefan, Damon, Ric, and I all realized that she needed help. Stefan volunteered to teach her control. We'd laughed at first, but eventually agreed since another matter was pressing: What the hell were the Lockwoods?

We had some theories, but couldn't be sure, so we'd come up with a plan. Ric would use his High School History teacher status to do some research while Damon and I took a road trip to Duke University to dig up some of Isobel's research. First, I'd made Caroline a ring, and left it with Stefan before leaving.

We were cruising down a vacant road in Damon's convertible when I stated, "I think they're werewolves. It all makes sense."

Damon turned to look at me, not needing to watch the road. "And just what makes you so sure, Miss British Smarty Pants?" he asked with a smile.

I rolled my eyes. "My dad's best friend, who also happened to be a parental figure and friend to me for five years, was a werewolf. I think I'd know one," I spoke matter-of-factly.

Damon didn't need to ask which 'dad,' I was referring to. He'd picked up on my parental lingo a while ago. Mum and Dad meant Lily and James. Mother and Father meant Miranda and Greyson. Isobel and John meant the obvious.

"Fine," he said. "Maybe you're right, but I guess we'll just have to find out, won't we?"

Silence flooded the car for a few minutes. Damon broke it.

"Don't your witchy friends over in Europe ever worry about you? Or vice versa?" I stared at him in confusion. He continued. "It's just, it seems like you cut them off. Like now you've got nothing to do with them. Do you keep in touch magically or something?" he inquired.

I was pensive. "Well, when I first came here, I wrote to them all the time, and vice versa, and I'd promised them that I wouldn't be gone long." Damon looked slightly saddened when it seemed as if I'd be leaving soon. I went on. "But then I got mixed up with all these vampires, and you have no idea what a hassle that can be," I added sarcastically.

He brightened and snorted.

"So, now that I think about it, it's been weeks since I wrote any of my friends back." I slumped down in my seat, feeling guilty.

Damon noticed my sudden change in demeanor. Attempting to cheer me up, he said, "Tell me about them. The friends that I've apparently snatched you away from," smiling.

I sat up. "Well, there's my best friend, Ginny. She-"

"Another BFF?" Damon gasped, a hand covering his mouth. "Stefan would be so hurt!"

I laughed and continued. "Ginny is this petite redhead a year younger than me. I met her through another one of my friends, her older brother, Ron."

"Are these the Weasley's you mentioned?"

"Yep," I answered, popping the 'p.' "As for Ron, I met him my first year, same as Hermione, and they're like my brother and sister. We literally did everything together. Including constantly finding ourselves in trouble."

Damon feigned shock. "You? In trouble? I don't believe a word of it."

I went on, grinning. "Well believe it Pretty Boy. The three of us got ourselves locked in a room with a giant three-headed dog named Fluffy our first year at Hogwarts."

Damon looked thoughtful. "Wait a second. I know a guy with a giant three-headed dog… Do you know a guy named Rubeus Hagrid? He'd hard to miss, being half-giant and all."

I nearly jumped out of my seat. "_You_ know Hagrid?" I asked, excitement invading my features.

Damon, staring out at the road, said as if it were common knowledge, "Me and the guy go _way_ back. I knew him when he was only 6'4"."

I laughed. This was too much. Damon friends with Hagrid. I could imagine them drunk together at that moment.

Damon then questioned, "Any other interesting stories you wanna share?"

"Well, there was this horrible woman from the Ministry of Magic who became headmaster during my fifth year. We'd had no preparation for our exams, and she'd been calling students into her office and scarring them." Damon looked at me worriedly. "But we got back at her, so it was all good."

"Ooh, revenge, do tell," he spoke sarcastically.

"Well, Hermione and I lured her out into the Forbidden Forest, and, after she'd had the crap scared out of her by Hagrid's baby brother, who was a full giant, we'd let a herd of centaurs carry her off. Even more entertaining was what Fred and George did to her. During our exams, they'd set off a spectacular fireworks show, and even chased her out of the castle with a dragon." As I told the story, I couldn't control my own laughter at the memory.

Damon smiled at my happiness. "Who are they?" he asked, as we pulled onto the Duke campus.

"Who?" I inquired.

Damon turned to look at me after pulling into a spot in the parking lot. "Fred and George? The fireworks guys?"

"Oh," I said, and my laughter died down. "Fred and George are twins, and they're Ron and Ginny's brothers. They're both two years older than me."

Damon pulled the key out of ignition, and sat back against the leather seat, showing no sign of leaving the car. "Were they your friends, too?"

"Fred was like a very protective older brother, and as for George…" I looked off at the campus.

Damon smiled deviously. "Why do I feel like I'm about to hear the juicy details of a tragic love story?" he asked sarcastically. That had made me laugh.

"I'll tell you this much. He was my boyfriend, and I loved him more than I can say, but he was also one of the reasons I left." I sighed.

"Bad break-up?" he inquired.

"No, the reason I left was because I'd felt like the whole war, and all those people dying were my fault, so I needed to get away. I hadn't figured out where I was going until I found the birth certificate."

"Oh, so you're still with him then?" Damon's eyes dimmed, and he started to get out of the car, but what I said next caused him to stop.

"No! I, um, I let him go." I spoke the words staring into Damon's clear blue eyes.

He smiled lightly at me, and then said, "Come on, let's go learn about the Lockwood freak shows." Smiling as well, I climbed out of the car.

Walking into the building where Isobel's office was located, Damon walked towards the Grad student, who announced herself as Vanessa. He compelled her to believe that he was Isobel's kid brother, I his girlfriend, and that we were here to collect some of the missing professor's belongings. Vanessa showed us to the office.

Looking around for a few minutes, but then noticing the Grad student's absence, Damon asked, "Hey, did you see where Vanessa went?"

As I turned around to answer him, I saw Vanessa standing in the doorway with a cross arrow, aimed directly at me. I guessed that compulsion hadn't worked after all. Before I could think of a spell, she fired it, and I gasped, shutting my eyes, waiting for the arrow to embed itself in my chest.

It never did, though. I opened my eyes 2 seconds later to find Damon hunched over me in pain. I realized that he'd taken the arrow for me. As she was about to shoot him a second time, I raised my hand towards her and furiously shouted, "Aresto Momentum!" When the arrow stopped in midair, I let it drop to the ground, than threw a stunning spell at the girl, who then immediately dropped to the ground.

Turning my attention towards Damon, I helped him to a nearby chair. Luckily, he was still conscious, and also coming back to his senses.

"Oh, good god! Gah!" he groaned in pain.

"What can I do?" I asked frantically.

"Pull it out!"

"What? Isn't that bad?" I inquired, confused.

"Nope, just yank it straight out, Brooke," he demanded, now growing frustrated. "It's made of wood, and it's in my chest, so I want it out. NOW."

"Um, okay, I guess." I help a firm grip on the arrow, the, after a moment of hesitation, ripped it straight out. Damon yelped, but then stretched, breathing heavily.

He turned to face me. "Alright, I know we've got this deal thing going on, but can I _please_ kill her, just this one time?" he asked as if he were a small boy asking his mother for another scoop of ice cream before bed.

"No," I snorted. "Let's not forget that I'm the one she was trying to shoot, but you don't see me ready to behead her. Let's use her to get what we came fore: information."

"Fine," Damon agreed reluctantly, and led us both towards Vanessa who was now waking up. He picked the weapon up off the ground, and then snapped it in half, much to her dismay.

Vanessa stood slowly. "This isn't possible," she spoke quietly, "Katherine Pierce and Damon Salvatore are dead."

Damon and I shared a knowing glance, before I stalked towards her. "I'm not Katherine Pierce, although she is alive. I'm Brooke Gilbert, and as you saw my little magic act earlier, I'm still just as capable of taking you down. So no more funny business, got it?" I questioned, glaring at her.

She nodded quickly.

"Good," I said. "This is Damon Salvatore, and he's alive because he didn't die in 1864, he was turned into a vampire. Now, seeing as you just shot him, I wouldn't be so quick to refuse the offer I'm about to give you. Get us everything there is on Isobel's research, or I let him have some vampire fun with you."

"Okay," she responded, looking up at me, and immediately turned to go find what we would later find to be boxes of research.

I turned to face Damon, releasing a heavy breath. I wasn't used to being that intimidating. At least, not to people who weren't threatening me at the moment.

Damon was grinning, and then asked, "Have I ever mentioned that badass is a sexy look for you?"

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It was later that night that we were on our way back to Mystic Falls. Vanessa had given us every piece of Isobel's research, and we'd left quickly. Damon was dropping me off at home before taking all the new information back to the boarding house.

When he'd pulled the car over on the curb, we'd both climbed out and began walking towards my front door. Once there, we stared at one another, waiting for someone to say something.

I broke the silence. "So, today was… _interesting_."

He chuckled. "Most definitely."

"Alright, why are we suddenly being awkward towards each other?" I asked bluntly.

"Because, Brooke," he started, sighing, "the more time you and I spend with each other, the more we both want the same thing."

My eyes squinted slightly in curiosity. "What are you talking about, Damon?"

He inhaled deeply. "Brooke, today, when you were almost shot with an arrow, and every other day when you're on the brink of death, I realized that I don't know what I'd do without you. You are the only good thing that has happened to me since Katherine. And, looking back on it, she wasn't a good thing at all. But you, the very thought of not being able to pull you into my arms, I can't even imagine…" My lips parted as my jaw began to hang slightly open in disbelief.

Isobel was right. When she'd said that he was in love with me. The only difference from now and then was that then, I was a moment away from using an unforgivable curse on him, and now…

I thought about everything that had happened to us, including Founder's day, when he'd nearly burned alive. I remembered what I felt when I'd though he was about to die. It was indescribable. It was like I was being drowned in boiling hot water. It was unbearable.

Damon continued, "I only met you a few months ago, and I know that you're afraid. You're afraid to get close to people because you feel like they'll get hurt because of you. And I know this because I am close to you, already. You haven't kept anything from me. You've told me all the horrors of your life from the abuse of your aunt and uncle, to losing your godfather. You've also told me about all the wonderful things, like when you were made the youngest seeker in the history of Hogwarts Quidditch. You tell me these things because you feel close to me." He'd said it all looking me straight in the eyes. Now, he was holding my face tenderly.

I began to realize that he was right. I was close to him. I'd let him in, something I'd barely ever one before. Tears were slipping over my eyelashes now, but he wiped them away gently. I laughed once.

"You're right, Damon. I did let you in. And I was stupid for doing that. Goodnight." I pulled his hands from my face, and turned to walk inside my house.

Using his vampire speed, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me towards him. "Brooke, remember that you're not the only screwed up one here." I looked up from the ground to meet his mesmerizing blue gaze. "When we first met, I was a homicidal maniac. And now, it's only months later, but you've changed me for the better. That doesn't sound like me getting hurt because of you."

I began to smile at him, understanding his point. Understanding everyone's point when they'd told me that people weren't going to get hurt because of me anymore. Voldemort and his army were long gone. And as for this whole vampire thing, Damon was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

"Alright, Damon," I spoke, my voice raspy, "the truth is that since I thought about losing you, I've realized how much you mean to me, too. Sure, I feel the same way about Stefan, but it's different because he's my friend. You, though, you're so much more than that. The thought of not having you around literally pains me…" My voice drifted off as I stared into his eyes. His arms were still holding me around my waist, and I'd now wrapped mine around his neck. Our bodies were right up against each other.

He lowered his face slightly down to mine. "I know that you think this is some big risk," he whispered, "but how about we risk it anyway?"

I nodded, my forehead leaning against his, and shut my eyes as he brushed his lips against mine. The kiss had started out chaste, but soon grew passionate, to the point where we were consumed within one another, our hands running through the other's hair. It was interrupted, however, when Jeremy opened the door to find us in our state. We immediately pulled away, Damon looking to the ground rather than my younger brother, and I rubbing the back of my neck, looking at Jeremy and trying not to blush.

Jeremy, on the other hand, burst out in laughter, and, turning to go back inside, said, "Hey, don't let me ruin your fun!"

Damon and I smiled at each other, alone again, and I whispered, "Goodnight, and thank you for taking an arrow for me today," before pecking him on the lips and turning to go inside.

"Anytime," he spoke back. I shut the door, and made my way to the kitchen, knowing he'd already driven off.

Jeremy sat at the table, eating a bowl of fruit. He was smiling at me with a mischievous grin.

"What?" I finally asked.

"Jenna's asleep upstairs. You're lucky I'm the one who found you two."

"Yes, I am," I agreed. I was searching my tote bag for my iPhone to call Caroline. Stefan had texted me earlier, saying that she was upset about something that happened with Matt. I sighed in frustration when I couldn't find it.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy inquired, looking up from his bowl of fruit.

"I can't find my phone."

"Well, can't you just do some witchy thing to find it?"

I pondered. "Yeah, you're right. _Accio _iPhone," I spoke, and a few moments later, there was a repeated thudding against the door.

"I think it's outside," he said sarcastically.

Walking towards the door, opening it and stepping outside, I saw the rectangular phone lying on the porch. "I must have dropped it before," I said quietly to myself. I shut the door behind me, picked up the phone, and dialed Caroline's number. The last thing I could remember as the phone was ringing was being grabbed and suffocated with a cloth full of chloroform.

**PLEASE REVIEW! SHOULD HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER BY TONIGHT!**


	5. Chapter 5

**FRIEND FROM HOGWARTS IS IN THIS CHAPTER!**

Okay, so in this chapter, a couple of different things happen. When I don't focus on one event, it's because it's not important to this story, so just ignore it. Brooke will be seeing an old friend in the chapter, and a few more within the next 2 chapters… *cough* George *cough*… Enjoy the chapter! And remember, no new updates until I get reviews!

Chapter 5 

"Why don't you just tell me what you want with me? It's not like I can run away," I argued with the tall vampire, Rose.

I'd been arguing with her since I'd woken up for the second time about a half an hour ago. From what I could tell, we were in a deserted mansion, and, unfortunately, I couldn't seem to use any magic. Rose warned me not to because of a spell on the house.

"You don't give up, do you?" she asked in her own British accent. I shook my head, arms crossed across my chest. She groaned. "Fine! But only because you're _so_ annoying." She walked to wear I was seated on the couch in the otherwise vacant room. "Well, you're the only living Petrova doppelganger, but you knew that already. Katerina doesn't count since she's a vampire. The blood of the doppelganger is needed to break the curse."

I looked at her in confusion. "What curse? And why are you using me to break it?"

"I'm not," she said matter-of-factly. "Trevor and I are simply delivering you to Elijah, one of the vampires who is trying to break it. And it's the sun and moon curse by the way."

My eyebrows began to knit together. "I'm still not understanding. The moonstone breaks the curse, not me," I stated.

She sighed. "Wrong. The moonstone binds the curse. The sacrifice is what breaks it."

"Wait, so, I need to die to break the sun and moon curse?" I inquired. Realization was beginning to dawn. I thought back to the last time I died. Not exactly like remembering your first trip to Disneyland.

She nodded, showing some remorse. "Sorry, but there's nothing I can do about it. Personally, I don't care about the damned curse. I've got no problem only going out at night. But Elijah does."

I shook my head. "Wait, who _is_ Elijah?"

"He's an original vampire, one of the first in existence. And they want the curse broken." Just as she was finishing her statement, Trevor jogged in frantically, shouting that Elijah was here. They both left the room, presumably, to greet him.

I leaned back into the sofa, but felt something against my back. Reaching behind and grasping it, I pulled it in front of my face to get a better look. It was a crumpled piece of parchment. Unfolding it, I read the ink.

'_Stefan, Damon, and I are coming for you._

_ -H'_

I was slightly relieved that help was on the way, but also confused as to who 'H' was. The only other magical person I'd known in Mystic Falls was Bonnie.

My thoughts were interrupted as Rose, Trevor, and, who I assumed to be, Elijah stepped into the room.

"Impossible," he whispered, and in the blink of an eye he was standing face to face with me. After taking a moment to look me over, he turned back to Rose and Trevor. "We'll be leaving now. Rose, thank you for your assistance. And Trevor…" Using faster speed than I'd ever seen before, he moved to Trevor's side, and _literally_ slapped his head off. Elijah then strutted from the corpse back to me as Rose sobbed. "Let's go," he spoke with a smile.

"What about the moonstone?" I asked frantically.

"You know about the moonstone?" I nodded. "Alright, where is it?"

"It doesn't work like that," I said slyly.

"You're negotiating with me?" he asked in disbelief. I shrugged. Eyeing my necklace, he reach for it, ripped it clean off my throat, and said, "I think you'll be more cooperative now." Then, he compelled me to tell him what I knew. I shivered.

_ 'Crash!'_

Grabbing my arm and dragging my from the room, Elijah said, "Let's go see who else is here." Rose followed behind me closely.

Once we'd made our way into the room where the noise was coming from, a quick unidentifiable figure could be spotted jumping across the room. Elijah released me, and I ran to Rose, who then held me protectively.

"Up here," a voice echoed.

_Damon_.

Elijah sprinted up the stairs. The next thing I knew, I was in an empty corridor, Damon holding me against the wall, a hand clamped over my mouth, and the other signaling me to remain silent. He removed his hand, and I nodded. He nodded as well, and then turned to face Stefan, who had been holding Rose against the wall next to me. They then quietly caught me up on their game of "Let's piss off the Original." Handing me a what looked like a vervain bomb, Stefan gestured for me to go to Elijah, who was now threatening them should they not hand me over to him at that moment.

Taking the bomb and walking into plain sight, I lied, "I'll go with you. Just please don't hurt my friends." Elijah looked at me curiously, holding his giant wooden stake, just before I pulled the pin and chucked the grenade at his face.

It didn't do much to slow him down, though. He took about 10 seconds to miraculously recovered, and then stalked towards me again. He was stopped when Stefan distracted him with 8 stakes fired at him with a crossbow, and when Damon then charged at him with the sharp wooden post Elijah had been carrying a while ago.

Once Elijah had died, Rose sprinted away, as to where I had no idea. Damon started after her, but I stopped him, saying that she wasn't a threat.

Meeting each other's eyes, Damon and I smiled in sync. He started towards the staircase which I was atop, and I began hurriedly stepping down towards him. When we finally reached each other, we locked in a tight hug, his hands rubbing up and down my back. "You're not hurt, are you?" he whispered into my hair.

"No, I'm fine."

The moment was perfect… until Stefan spoke up. "Um, I hate to break up the lover's reunion, but let's not forget that we've got another person waiting in the car."

I pulled away from Damon to look at them both. "I got a message," I informed them. "It was magical. It said that you two and someone else named 'H' were coming to get me. Who's 'H'?"

Stefan smiled at me. "You'll see."

We walked a good twenty minutes back to where they'd parked the car. I'd explained to them all the new information I'd received, and how the reason I culdn't use magic was because of a barrier on the house. They told me how Jeremy wanted to know where I was, and no one knew. They figured that they'd need magic to find me. They phoned someone in my contacts, who, luckily, happened to be in Virginia. She'd done a locator spell to find me and was not waiting in the car for our return. They wouldn't, however, tell me who she was.

Once we were in the clearing where the car was parked, a thin brunette jumped out of the car and sprinted towards me.

"Hermione!" I shrieked gleefully, encasing her in a hug.

"I've missed you so much! Now I know why you haven't been writing! You're in a tizzy with a town full of vampires!"

I laughed as we climbed into the backseat. Damon started the car, and soon, the four of us were on our way back to Mystic Falls.

"What are you doing here in the States?" I asked Hermione.

"I found where my parents live in Australia!" she said happily, but then she sighed. "But when I asked their neighbors why no one was home, they told me it was because my parents took a vacation to Virginia, USA. Then I get a phone call you're your phone while I'm in Richmond. You can imagine my excitement! But when I answer it, it's these two!" She gestured to Damon and Stefan, smirking in the front seats. "They tell me that you've been kidnapped, and they need my help finding you! And here we are now," she finished smartly.

I sighed in relaxation, leaning back into the seat. Words couldn't describe how happy I was to see my friend for the first time in nearly months. A thought crossed me. "Where's Ron? Weren't you two traveling together?"

Her smiled faded. "We did, in Australia. But then he got home sick- you know how he is- and went home. I went on to come here. But that doesn't matter! Tell me how you got mixed up in all this!" she demanded excitedly.

And I did. We spent the trip back home discussing my finding the birth certificate, and everything since then. She'd expressed hurt over my lying to her about where I'd be going, but then said she understood my reasons. We'd agreed that she'd be staying with me (Jenna wouldn't have a problem) until she found her parents. She'd also promised that when she got back to England, she wouldn't go telling everyone where I was. I didn't need to worry about them getting involved in this, especially when it turned out that this curse was going to be the death of me. _Literally_.

When we finally made him home, Stefan and Damon walked us both to the door, we thanked them, Damon kissed me goodnight, and then they left.

We walked inside, and were greeted by Jeremy, who joyfully engulfed me in a monstrous hug. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Jer," I replied, stepping back. "Jer, this is Hermione, one of my best friends from Hogwarts. Hermione, this is my little brother Jeremy."

They shook hands. "Thank you, for finding my sister, Hermione," Jeremy spoke.

"Not a problem. I'm just glad she's alright."

After that, Jeremy went to bed, and I showed Hermione to our guest room. Once she was settled in, I went to the bathroom to clean myself up and change into my pajamas. When I walked into my room, I found Damon lying on my bed, smiling at me.

"Hey, you," I greeted him, crawling under the covers. Once in bed, I wrapped my bruised arm around his torso.

"Look at what I got," he spoke, pulling my vervain necklace out of his pocket.

"I thought that was gone," I breathed, taking it. Looking back up at him, I asked, "Would you, please?"

"No problem," he answered and we both sat up. Putting the necklace around my throat, he said, "Stefan found it on the floor while we were, um, 'embracing.' He knows by the way. On our way to you, I told him we got together when you admitted to not being able to resist my body. So your friend, Hermione knows, too."

I giggled. "That's fine. It also explains the wink she gave me after you left."

He laughed as he finished putting my necklace on. We both lay back down, staring into each other's eyes. After a few moments of silence, he leaned towards me, and began to kiss me gently. The kiss soon grew rough, and before I knew it, our arms were wrapped around each other. When we pulled away for air, I smiled at him.

"I could get used to this," I whispered.

"Me, too," he replied.

I laid in the hold of his arms for a few minutes longer until I finally fell asleep after an insane two days.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

The next morning, Jenna was still on campus and Jeremy was already on his way to school. I'd decided to go in late.

Hermione and I were at the kitchen table, eating breakfast.

"So," I started, "what's up in the world of Weasley's?'

She laughed. "Well, everyone misses you, and they're all worried about why you haven't written back in a few months. Mr. Weasley is Minister Shacklebolt's right-hand man. Mrs. Weasley still cooks. Most of the kids are off doing something. You know where Ron is. Ginny's graduating from Hogwarts in about a month, and last I spoke with her, she was wishing she could get in touch with you to invite you to the ceremony. The twins have got the shop up and running again, which reminds me, since we're speaking of George, what's up with you and that Damon guy?" she inquired.

I blushed. "Oh, well, um, we met a few months after I came here. He's a vampire, obviously, and he's Stefan's brother. We're, uh, sort of together."

She looked skeptical. "I'm happy you've got someone to make you happy after the war. If anyone deserves it, it's you, but what about George?"

"What about George? I let him go." She was confusing me now.

"Yeah, until you'd come back." I still looked curious. "Brooke, he thinks you guys will pick up where you left off when you go back to England."

My jaw swung open. "Hermione, I'm not going back!"

Her mouth mimicked mine. "Well, he doesn't know that!" We both stared at one another in horror. "Brooke, he's waiting for you! We were all under the impression you'd come back and you guys would just start up again!"

"Am I the only one who knows what 'letting someone go' is?" I shouted.

We both leaned back into our seats.

"Listen," Hermione spoke calmly, "The Hogwarts Graduation ceremony is in a month. Ginny wants you there. Everyone wants to see you. Take a week to visit us and see Ginny and Luna graduate. You can clear up anything else with George while you're there, too."

I thought it over. "I don't know, Hermione. So much is going on here. I'd have to convince Jenna to let me go, and when it comes to Damon and Stefan, forget about it. They wouldn't let me leave their protection."

"So bring them with you!" she suggested. "Since when does Mrs. Weasley bring guests?"

I initially hesitated, but then gave in. "Fine, I'll see what I can do."

_ This should be fun._

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Two weeks later, Hermione had finally had enough. And honestly, so had I.

I'd spoken with Katherine (who'd eventually escaped the tomb) and she'd told me about the Originals, Klaus, specifically. John had returned (insert vulgar language here), but he'd at least showed us how to kill and Original.

Elijah had come back from the dead, so we'd used John's weapon to kill him, much more effectively this time, I might add. However, when it turned out that I needed him, I pulled the dagger out of his heart, reviving him yet again. He had then explained the Originals on much more personal level to me. It had turned out that they were all siblings whose mother (who was the first witch in existence) had turned them into vampires to protect them. But in doing that, she'd also started the curse of the sun for anyone they turned. The wolves were already bound by the moon.

Klaus, however, was a hybrid, which made him very special. While Elijah didn't mind the sun's lack of effects on him, Klaus was sick of being bound to the full moon, which is why he sought me out to break the curse. Klaus had also come to town taking over Alaric's body in the process to get close to us.

Needless to say, it had been a hectic two weeks. But what else was new?

Hermione was leaving that morning, so we said our goodbyes. Hugging her, I saw her off into her car, and before she shut the door, she reminded me not to miss the graduation, and not to get killed in the mean time.

That was another thing. I'd convinced Damon and Stefan to let me go to England for a week at the end of May. We'd decided that Stefan would accompany me since there was no denying that Damon's temper was too short for Hogwarts. Jeremy had asked if he could go as well, wanting to see the life I'd lived before I met my little brother. W'ed gotten Jenna's permission to go to Ginny's graduation. I no longer needed to lie to Jenna about the world of magic and vampires because she'd found out when Stefan 'vamped out' to save her from Ric/Klaus.

What can I say? My life doesn't know that meaning of boring?

When Hermione's car was out of sight, I turned to Damon and Stefan. "The full moon is tonight. What are we gonna do?"

They both looked pensive until Stefan spoke up. "Let's go meet Jeremy and Jenna at the boarding house." I nodded in agreement, as did Damon.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

But we never did. We'd gotten in the car after Hermione left, but on our way to Damon and Stefan's house, something, or someone (*cough* Klaus *cough*), grabbed the car by the back bumper, and pulled it to a halt.

The figure had reached inside and grabbed me. That was the last thing I'd remembered before waking up in a clearing in the woods next to an unconscious Jenna, Klaus and his witch standing over us.

"Time for the sacrifice," he said in a sing-song voice.

**PLEASE REVIEW! THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER CHAPTER BY TONIGHT IF I GET MORE REVIEWS!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so sorry!**

I'm so sorry that I took so long to update! And I'm also apologizing that this chapter is so short! But the next one will be freakishly long! I promise! But anyone rooting for Damon and Brooke will enjoy this chapter! Next chapter contains the Weasley's! That means George, people! Remember to review! Thank you!

Chapter 6 

"Turn it off, Jenna," I sobbed. "You can turn off what you're feeling."

She cried back, "But I don't want to!"

I looked at the sight in front of me.

Klaus' witch was dead on the stone ground, blood pouring from where Jenna had just bitten her. Jules lay on the dirt, a hole ripped open in her chest. Klaus was clutching Jenna, preparing to drive a stake through her heart.

Gazing into my aunt's eyes as she stared back in fear into mine, I saw Jenna's demeanor change, and I'd knew that she'd flipped the switch.

And then Klaus plunged the piece of wood straight into her heart.

"JENNA, NO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, having just lost yet another person I loved. At this point, I couldn't wait for Klaus to kill me in this sick ritual, because at least then, no one else would have to die to save me.

Klaus dropped Jenna's body to his feet, watched as the color drained from her face, then turned his head to the side, and slowly made his way towards me. He almost looked sorry.

"It's time," he announced. Looking from my murdered aunt to Klaus, I wiped the fresh tears off my face, then rose, strutting past him, and ignoring the hand he'd offered me. After making my way to the stone platform where Jenna had just died, Klaus joined me.

Holding my shoulder with one hand and stroking the scar down the side of my face with the other, he whispered, "Forgive me, my dear," looking somewhat regretful.

Deciding that I was about to die, deciding that I was never going to see Caroline or Stefan or Damon or Ginny or Hermione or Ron or Fred or George or anyone else I loved ever again, I spoke the words through my teeth with as much disdain as I could muster, "Go screw yourself."

He looked at me for a moment longer, then grasped my neck, and bit into my flesh. With every second that passed in slow motion, I could feel my body draining of blood. Before I knew it, everything turned black.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

As I gasped awake, the first thing I saw, or rather, _things_, was Damon's bright blue eyes. As he attempted to gently restrain me while I squirmed around, I took in my surroundings. By the looks of the ratty old house, I was at the site of the burning of the witches.

Suddenly, Jeremy and Alaric were at Damon's side as he began to ask me if I was alright. All I could say in return was, "Why am _I_ alive?"

It was at that moment that I heard a _thud, _and, looking over Damon's shoulder, I saw John Gilbert collapse and, presumably, die.

Looking back at the three men in front of me, I shrieked, "What the _bloody hell_ is going on?"

Damon then sat beside me, and, stroking my hair, explained that even though I'd died, John volunteered to sacrifice himself to save me. The more interesting part was the witch that helped him do it. _Bonnie_. Damon told me that she'd said that even though she was against us, she wasn't about to let Klaus win, and at that moment, she, Stefan, and Elijah were in the process of killing Klaus.

_ It never ends for me, does it?_

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Days later, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My normally lively dark curls hung dead around my face. I was dressed in a black cocktail dress and matching flats. My face was paler than usual, and there were dark circles beneath my eyes. At the sound of a knock on my bedroom door, I turned to see Jeremy, dressed in a black suit.

"I'll be done in a second," I told him, now looking at the photos scotch-taped to me dresser's mirror. There was one of Miranda and Greyson that I'd been given. One was of Lily and James, dancing in the snow. There were shots of the Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and I on the quidditch field. Another was of Caroline and I at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Another was of George and I on Christmas at the burrow, Fred 'photo-bombing' in the background. There was a picture of Stefan and Matt in their football uniforms, and even one of Damon, which I'd snapped while he was driving. The picture I lingered on was Jenna's.

Elijah had betrayed us. Klaus had gotten away. Bonnie told me that our _very_ temporary alliance meant nothing. Sure, Klaus thought I was dead, so he wouldn't be bothering me from now on, but it was clear to me that none of it was worth it. I'd wished I'd just died.

"Take as long as you need," Jeremy said quietly. Then, after a pause, he handed me a letter, and said, "This is from John. I'll be waiting with the others downstairs."

Before he could turn around, I spoke out, "I'm so sorry that you've lost so many people, Jeremy. None of this started until I showed up here."

Engulfing me in a hug, he whispered, "I've still got you." I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. He then released me, and turned to walk out my bedroom door.

After he was gone, I sat down, and began to read the last message to me from John, my biological father. A thought occurred to me.

_Most people only have two parents. I had six, and each of them is dead. Lucky me._

I then read the words of John, the father I'd never wanted, and learned that John loved me more than words could describe, even though he'd barely known me.

_Brooke,_

_ It's not an easy task of being an ordinary parent to an extraordinary child. I've failed that task. And, because of my prejudices, I've failed you. I'm haunted by how things might have been different, like if I'd been more willing, more patient, to hear your side of this whole story. This is the end for me, but you can still grow, and raise you child properly, unlike me. I'm not asking you to forgive me, or for you to forget, but just to believe in what I'm saying. Whether you read this as a human, or vampire, I want you to know that I love you no matter what, just as I have these past 17 years, always praying that you're safe._

_Your father, John_

As I finished reading, tears dropped from my face onto the paper. I had been so wrong about my own father. Putting the letter aside, I retrieved the four roses I'd set on my bed, and then walked out of my room and down the stairs. Waiting at the door was Jeremy, Damon, and Stefan. Nodding at them, we all piled into Damon's mustang. After a 12-minute drive to the graveyard, I climbed out of the car, and saw Alaric, Caroline, Tyler, and Matt standing at the gravestone of Miranda and Greyson.

I walked past each of them, straight towards the tombstone. Once there, I placed two roses on the ground. The third, I placed on the ground adjacent to the first spot, an area dedicated to Jenna. Then, I placed the last rose next to the third, for the memory of John, possibly one of the worst, but also one of the greatest fathers I'd ever heard of.

Not a single person had said anything the whole time, and, after wiping the tears from my eyes, I looked up into Damon's. Immediately knowing what to do, Damon wrapped his strong arms around me, pulling me into a loving and comforting hug.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It wasn't even two days later that I laid in Damon's bed, holding him the same way he'd held me every time I felt as if I couldn't take anymore. The only difference now was that he was dying. Damon was dying, and I couldn't cry for two reasons.

The first was that if I cried, I wouldn't be being strong for Damon. The second was that I physically couldn't shed any more tears. It was as if I'd cried myself dry.

I leaned back against his headboard, holding his head in my lap, and stroking his hair. His breathing was ragged, and he was sweating profusely. I couldn't lose Damon, too. _That_ would send me over the edge. If anything could kill me, _that_ would be it.

"You need to leave," he spoke hoarsely.

"Not gonna happen," I responded.

"No, Brooke, you _have_ to leave. I'll go delusional. I'll hurt you," he nearly cried.

"No, you won't, Damon. So, I'm not going anywhere." After that, silence filled the atmosphere for a while. Stefan was nowhere to be found, and that was good thinking on his part, because the next time I saw him, I was going to rip him a new one for not mentioning to me that my boyfriend had been bitten by a werewolf.

The silence was broken when Damon spoke up. "I'm so sorry for being a dick all that time when I first knew you. And for when I took everything out on Stefan, when he didn't force me to make all the mistakes I did. I deserve this," he muttered.

I moved his head from my lap to his pillow, and then leaned over him to look him in the eyes. "_No_, you don't. You don't deserve this," I told him sternly. I then leaned back down, curling into him and closing my eyes.

"I love you, Brooke."

My eyes snapped open. Looking u at him, I smiled sorrowfully, and whispered him words that were true. "I love you, too."

He chuckled painfully. "That's good." He paused. "You should have met me in 1864. It would have been easier to love me then."

I then spoke into his neck, where my face was now buried, "I love you now, just the way you are." He smiled, and his eyes fluttered to a close. Lifting my head up to his, I placed a long, tender kiss on his chapped lips. The, pulling away, I began stroking his hair again.

A voice then interrupted, "Well, I hate to ruin the moment, but if you don't want it to include dying, you should drink this," Katherine spoke, waltzing in and tossing a vile of red liquid to Damon.

As he began to drink it, I asked my doppelganger, "What kind of cure is this?"

Rolling her eyes, she said, "It's Klaus' blood. Stefan weaseled it out of him by promising himself as Klaus' personal slave. But that's okay. It's not like he's got a reason to stick around here when his best friend is getting it on with his brother, right?" She then flashed that bitchy smirk of hers, and strutted out of the room.

I was sitting up now, as was Damon, and, sharing the same look of horror, we gripped each other in a tight hug.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Two weeks later, I was tucking my wand (even though I no longer required it for magic) into my brown leather boot, and tossing my packed bag into the trunk of Damon's mustang, along side his and Jeremy's. Since Damon had recovered from his near-death experience, we hadn't left each other's side. However, rather than doing what one would expect of two people in love, we spent nearly every waking moment looking for clues, attempting to track Stefan. According to Damon, Stefan was back to his 'ripper-self,' and that meant that he'd flipped the switch, unfortunately. That was also why I'd been training to kill vampires lately. I realized magic wouldn't always be there to save my ass, so I was now a 'legit vampire hunter,' as Ric had put it.

We were climbing in the car to go to the nearest airport now. As I'd promised Hermione, I was attending Ginny's graduation, which was the next day. However, rather than Stefan accompanying Jeremy and I like we'd originally planned, Damon was, for obvious reasons. Ric had volunteered to take us, as had Caroline, but Damon and Sheriff Forbes found a trail of drained bodies leading to Scotland. Figuring it could be a lead on Stefan and Klaus, Damon decided to come to Hogwarts. _This would be good. _

From where I was standing adjacent to the car, I watched as Ric, our only parental figure left, waved goodbye to us from the porch of my now lonely house. Jeremy climbed into the backseat of the mustang as I shut the trunk door. Lingering for a moment and twiddling my pendant in my fingers, staring at the home I'd known for only a year, a thought crossed my mind.

_They haven't seen me in a year._

I hadn't answered a single letter from England in months. God only knew what they thought had happened to me.

_Oh, well. You'll get to catch them up when you see them._

I then thought of something else. George. Now realizing that I was finally going to see him again, I was confused by my feelings. What were they? Joy? Love? That made no sense, seeing as I was in love with Damon, as we'd confessed to each other on his deathbed. Was it because I fell in love with Damon thinking I'd be dead before I saw George again? Maybe. But, nonetheless, I was most definitely in love with Damon. There was no doubting it. Even if feelings for George popped up.

Feeling arms wrap around my waist, I turned to pull Damon in a chaste kiss. We leaned our foreheads against each other's, and he said lowly, "We're ready to go when you are."

After nodding my head against his, we separated and entered the car on opposite sides. The three of us were then off to the airport.

**PLEASE REVIEW! THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER CHAPTER BY TONIGHT IF I GET MORE REVIEWS!**


	7. Chapter 7

** Oh, my gosh, you guys! I'm so sorry! I've just been so busy with fencing, and I had to be a counseler at a camp for little kids where they're trying to learn how to fence, and it's all too much for one 15-year-old! But don't worry, I'm spending all night and all day tomorrow writing the next chapters! Good thing I don't have a social life! It was also very hard writing this chapter, and you'll see why! Enjoy!**

Chapter 7 

"Is it supposed to be talking?" whispered Jeremy as we sat next to each other on the Knight bus, Damon in the seat behind us.

"Shh!" I hushed my younger brother as our seats shuffled around the bus, not bolted to the floor. "How much longer til we reach King's Cross Station, Ernie?" I shouted at the driver over the rambling the shrunken head was doing.

"10 seconds!" he bellowed back.

"Yeah, right," I heard Damon mutter.

"He's serious," I informed my vampire boyfriend. He started to roll his eyes, but Ernie immediately kicked the bus into warp speed, and, in the time promised, we were parked in front of King's Cross Station.

As both Damon and Jeremy stared out the window in shock, I rose from my unstable seat, and stepped off the bus, bag over my shoulder, thanking the Knight bus driver for the lift, handing him a sickle. We'd already stopped at the newly renovated Gringotts, so money was no issue.

"You're very welcome, Miss Potter," he answered back with a toothy grin. I winced at the mention of my former last name, and Damon and Jeremy, now off the bus along side me, noticed. My expression, however, signaled them to ignore it.

I led them through the station, much dirtier than it was when I saw it during death, and to the gateway to Platform 9 ¾. It was there that I handed them each a train ticket for the Hogwarts express. Since it was the early morning of graduation day, the express was up and running, seeing as many parents were now visiting Hogwarts.

Eyeing his ticket, Damon said, "Brooke, this can't be right. I'm looking around, and there's no such thing as a Platform 9 ¾."

I smiled knowingly, remembering the same words I'd said to Hagrid nearly eight years ago. "That's because we aren't quite there yet." I took a step back from the solid brick wall, and then told them, "We have t run straight through the wall. Be sure to get a running start." Just as they began to protest, claiming I'd lost my mind and that I'd break my skull open, I charged straight at the wall, eyes closed. When they opened, I was in my comfort zone: surrounded by people tossing magic around like cheap wine.

Out of nowhere, Damon and Jeremy appeared behind me, still in shock over the 'walking through walls' concept. I laughed whimsically. "C'mon, or we'll miss the train!" I announced, grabbing both their hands and dragging them onto the Hogwarts express behind me. We quickly found an empty compartment, where, once we were settled, I explained to them what t expect from the wondrous School of witchcraft and wizardry. I could only hope it was as glorious as I had once known it to be before the war.

After that, I left to use the restroom to change while they did the same in the compartment. We had to look nice. It was a graduation ceremony after all. After slipping on a strapless pink cocktail dress and a pair of black slightly-heeled sandals, I combed out my now flat-ironed raven hair, and then applied some natural looking makeup around my bright green eyes, as well as a thin layer of rosy pink lip-gloss. Collecting my belongings in the restroom, I left, making my way back to the compartment where Damon and Jeremy had finished changing into their suits. I stored the pouch I was carrying into my luggage back, and then sat down, telling both my boys to get some sleep, just before doing so myself.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

A few hours later, when the train reached Hogwarts, Damon, Jeremy, and I stepped off the train and made our way through the bustling crowd of magical parents. We separated from them by standing off to the side in the courtyard while they all made their way towards the Great Hall, where the ceremony would be held.

"We'll wait here for a little while, or until the crowd calms down." Both Damon and Jeremy nodded at my statement, and we did so. After a few minutes, the population of loved ones of the Hogwarts students decreased, and a young redheaded witch dressed in her school robes appeared, apparently making her way towards the Great Hall as well. That was, until her eyes landed on mine.

"Brooke?" she spoke, barely audible. Tears filled my eyes, as they did in hers as well, and I nodded slightly. Before I knew it, Ginny, my wonderful best friend, the sister I'd never had, was charging at me across the stone. Embracing me, she gasped out, "Hermione told me that she'd run into you, and that you were alive, but that was it!" She then pulled away from me, grasping my shoulders, coldly staring at me at eye-level (due to the high heels she wore), and shrieked, "I started to think you were dead! You bitch! You couldn't answer one bloody letter?!" Anger claimed her face.

My hand shot up to stroke her ginger hair, and she immediately calmed down, her face relaxing. "I'm sorry," I said, "But I kinda got involved in a bunch of vampire drama."

She stared at me in awe. "Seriously?"

Taking a step back from her and breathing heavily, I introduced her to my two traveling companions. "Ginny, this is my younger brother, Jeremy, and this is my boyfriend, Damon. He's a vampire." I gestured to Jeremy, then Damon. They both smiled at Ginny.

Ginny's jaw dropped. I quickly added. "Oh yeah, and I found out I was adopted, hence the brother."

After a few moments, she finally mustered a response. "You don't sound English."

I busted out in laughter. It wasn't long before she joined me. "That's all you have to say?! I tell you that my parentage was a lie, and that I'm dating a vampire, and the only thing you process is that I don't sound English?!" She nodded through her hysteria. "I've been living in America for a year, so my accent's changed."

We went silent for a few moments, staring at each other. It wasn't until Jeremy awkwardly coughed behind me that we both chuckled. Ginny then smacked her own forehead, and said, "Oh, blimey! I almost forgot! It's time for graduation! Which reminds me, thank you for coming." She pulled me into another hug.

After squeezing her lightly, I said, turning back to the two men behind me, "Alright, time to go see my best friend graduate." With that, we all made our way towards the doors of the Great Hall. Ginny and I walked, arms linked, and Damon and Jeremy kept up behind us.

As we walked on, Ginny spoke up. "So, you haven't seen anyone, albeit Hermione, in a year. My mum is gonna be pissed," she warned.

I sighed regretfully. "Let's put it this way, Ginny. You're mum is the last person I'm worried about seeing. And I really am sorry for never writing back."

Unhooking her arm from mine and rubbing her newly freed hand over my shoulder, she said, "You're safe, which is an extremely rare thing, considering the way Hermione spoke of you, so don't worry about my brother. Just focus on my gorgeous face!" She grinned like she was Gilderoy Lockhart in coordination with her sarcasm.

I laughed at her remark. "Will do. And, hey, just because it's your special day, I'll save the drama until after the ceremony. But only because I love you." I smiled.

She chuckled in return, and then demanded that I tell her all about my vampire-esque adventures in the past year when I share a room with her that night.

"Oh, Gin, that's so nice of you to offer us the Burrow to stay at, but we were just going to rent a space at the Leaky Cauldron."

"_Pfft_, as if I'd let you sleep there. Besides, I also need to here all the juicy details about this immortal romance you're engaged in," she added with a wink at me.

Damon smirked when I looked over my shoulder at him. "Fine," I agreed, "But not for too long. We're here on a certain agenda."

Satisfied, she nodded, and then she pushed open the massive door to the hall. The four of us entered, and I was overwhelmed by familiar faces. Mixed within the crowd was Neville Longbottom, whom Ginny said was here to see his girlfriend, Luna Lovegood (who I also spotted nearby him) graduate. I noticed many of my old professors, ushering families to seats. They included McGonagall, Slughorn, Sprout, Flitwick, and Trelawney. Headmistress McGonagall's eyes met mine briefly, she smiled a truly happy smile, and began hastening towards me. When she reached me, she enveloped me in a monstrous hug.

"Potter, how have you been?"

Ignoring her calling me Potter, I told her I couldn't complain (sarcastically, of course), and when she was summoned by a frustrated Flitwick, she told me we'd catch up later, before turning away.

"Oh, Ginny, darling, there you are!" I heard Molly Weasley bellow over the crowd. She and her family made their way to Ginny. And when I say 'family,' I mean the whole damn ginger clan, with the exception of a certain twin. George, to be exact.

During my short conversation with my old Professor, I'd drifted slightly away from Ginny, Damon, and Jeremy. I was now somewhat behind my redheaded friend, where none of her family members quite noticed me.

"I've missed you all so much since last holiday!" Ginny exclaimed, throwing her arms around Arthur and Molly. "And look who's here!"

This was it. I was facing the closest thing I'd had to a family for the first time after nearly a year of no contact. They were gonna be so pissed. Hopefully no one would cry. I didn't want to deal with that. Not with everything I'd had going on lately.

Ginny turned, grabbed my arm, and spun me towards her family.

_ Here we go._

Before I could say, "Merlin's beard," I was engulfed in a bone-crushing hug by Molly Weasley.

"Oh, Mrs. Weasley-," I began, but was cut off.

"Brooke, you naughty girl! How could you leave for a year, and not tell ME where you were going?!" she demanded, pulling out of the embrace. "You said it'd only be a little while, and here we are, a year later! Where have you been living?! And WHAT have you been eating?! You're even skinnier than I remember, if that's possible!" She stared at me for a few more moments, expecting answers, but I was speechless. Then, droplets of water fell from my eyelids. Wasn't I the one who'd hoped there'd be no crying?

"Mrs. Weasley, you have no idea how much I've missed you," I squeaked.

"Oh, my dear," she poke back, then pulled me down for a kiss on the top of my head like she always did. It reminded me how much I'd yearned for a mother figure in the past year. I had Jenna, or at least, used to, but she was more like a sister. I'd replayed the memory of my mother's spirit in the Forbidden Forest, and reminisced over my scarce time with Miranda. As for Isobel, she was just a sick reminder that I would never have a loving mother. But Mrs. Weasley's warmth quickly contradicted that.

After she released my head, Molly stepped out of the way, and I was practically mauled by her children. Fred wrapped me in an inescapable bear hug, lifting me off my feet, Ron shouted, "Where the _bloody hell_ have you been?!," and Mr. Weasley asked something about ever finding out about the function of a rubber duck. I answered each question briefly, for the ceremony was starting in minutes, and explained to them all that I'd catch them up on my whereabouts later on. I introduced them to Jeremy and Damon, who were getting much too fidgety at this point, and we all started making our way to our seats.

When we reached the bench where our large group would be seated, I shuffled towards Fred, and mouthed to him, "Where's George?"

He was about to answer, but then shut his mouth when he spotted someone over my shoulder making his way towards us. Fred then looked back at me, his eyes almost saying, "Get ready."

When George reached the two of us (seeing as the rest of our group was already seated), he began saying, "Sorry I took so long. Slughorn needed help with one of the students who got transfigured into a warthog during a prank, so I-," but he stopped talking as soon as his eyes fell on me. As we stared at each other for what felt like forever, I saw every emotion in existence flash through his blue orbs. Hurt, anger, love, confusion.

My mouth hung slightly open, and as hard as I tried to say something, _anything_, I couldn't muster a squeak. Fred's voice, after a few painfully slow moments, eased the tension.

"Well…this is awkward. The ceremony's starting, so you two can have your lover's quarrel later." I saw George shoot his brother a pissed off look. I'd never seen either of them even slightly angry at each other. I didn't like it.

After a moment of hesitation, George and I followed Fred to the bench where our party was seated. On the short walk there, I slowly began to feel more and more sick. I felt absolutely horrible seeing George. I felt slightly guilty, but for George? No. For Damon, because the moment I'd seen George, butterflies appeared in my stomach, like they had every time my boyfriend walked into the room for over 3 years.

I took my seat on a bench between Damon, whom Jeremy sat on the other side of, and Fred. You could guess who sat on the other side of him.

Throughout the ceremony, George and I stole glances at each other each time Fred leaned forward. We said nothing, but just stared at each other for moments at a time. I think the only time I actually paid attention to the ceremony was when Ginny and Luna were called up to the stage. Besides that, I was trapped in my thoughts. I didn't even realize when the ceremony ended until Damon had crouched down in front of me and took my face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing together.

I nodded, pulling his hands away and standing up. "Let's go."

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Once we'd all made our way outside the walls of Hogwarts, we each apparated to the Weasley residence, where a small party for Ginny was being held. Each Weasley, and Hermione, had taken a seat somewhere in the living room. It was then that I began my story, starting with the moment that I'd found my birth certificate at the Dursley's. Everyone sat there and listened attentively, Hermione nodded as if my life were a book she'd read before. However, when I got to the part where Klaus kidnapped and sacrificed me right after she'd left, she went berserk, but then recovered when she grasped the concept that I was alive and well.

I finished the story with, "Oh, and I can only stay for a few days, since we have a lead on Stefan leaving murders lying around somewhere in Scotland."

They all stared at me like I had three heads. The tension in the silence that had filled the room was too thick to be cut with a knife. Nodding my head awkwardly, I decided that now would be a good time to let them think it all over themselves. "I'm just gonna go for a walk now." With that, I turned to walk out the door. When I did, Damon and Jeremy began to stand, but I stopped them, signaling them to stay behind with my hand. They both nodded, and sat down in their seats. Ginny then waltzed over to the both of them, and, as I exited the room, I could hear her say to Jeremy, "So, I get that Damon's taken, but what about you?"

I chuckled at my friend's question as I paced around the garden, wondering how I would handle Damon around the Burrow for the next few days. He'd nearly blown up listening to the Hogwarts school song, so how would he manage the hectic and upbeat burrow?

_I should have let him bring some scotch._

Looking up into the sky, I could see the stars reveal themselves from behind clouds. It was dusk now, and after a long day of travel, I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. I sighed in exhaustion.

"Long day?" spoke a deep voice behind me. I turned my head slightly to face its owner, and George looked up at the sky, stepping beside me.

"Long year," I answered. "How are they handling the news in there?"

He chuckled. "Ginny's obsessing over your brother. He doesn't appear to have a problem with it. Ron's asking Fred, 'So, does that mean she's a vampire, too?' and Fred's just rolling his eyes. Hermione's having a nice chat with your vampire friend, Damon. The others are just staring at each other."

I turned to look at him. "And you? How are you handling all of this?"

He sighed. "Honestly, I'm pissed. You leave for a year, and then come back like nothing happened? I get that you've been busy, but how hard is it to write a letter?"

I took a deep breath before answering him. "I know, and I'm sorry. I meant to start writing again after Hermione visited, but I kinda died, and after that I thought Damon was really sick, so I was freaking out and-."

"Why would you be freaking out over Damon being sick?" George cut in. "I thought his brother was your best friend and all."

_Oh, Merlin. I completely forgot to mention that I was with Damon._

"When you walked out, Gin said something about him being taken," George went on. I winced, knowing where this was going. "You didn't mention who he was with."

"George, I…" I started, but I couldn't go on. I just stared at him, hoping he'd figure it out so I wouldn't have to painfully explain. And, eventually, he caught on. It was just as painful.

"Wait, him and _you_?" he asked in disbelief. I nodded slightly.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea that you thought I'd come back and we could just, well, you know," I tried to apologize.

It did nothing. "Are you serious?" George questioned. "You say you'll only be gone for a little while, you kiss me goodbye, and then you leave for a year! Do you have any idea how lonely it's felt around here?"

"_Lonely_?" That hit a nerve. "Let's get something straight, you don't know the meaning of the word, lonely, until you've been in my shoes!" And it was right about then when, not only did I set into Drill Sergeant Brooke mode, but George fell into angry ginger mode.

"Yes, I get it! We all get it!" he snapped back, throwing his arms in the air. "You've lost so many people you care about! And I'm sorry because you don't deserve that! But that still doesn't give you the right to act like no one else has feelings!" He turned to stomp away.

_ Oh, no, you don't, you git._

I immediately shot a miniscule spell at the back of his head. After feeling the apparent ping, he spun around to face me.

"Did you really just _zap_ me?" he asked in shock.

"Maybe," I spoke indifferently with a shrug.

"You are _so_ immature." With that, he turned to walk away once more. So I did it again. Bad choice. Due to the fact that that was what started the all-out zapping war.

George immediately turned to face me again, pulling his wand out of his back pocket, and shouted, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" He then shot a zap at me. Mayhem ensued.

Have you ever had a poking war with a friend? Or contiously shot rubberbands at each other? Maybe even get into a slight wrestling match? Well, this was the magical version of that.

I'm not entirely sure how long our angry little scuffle of zapping went on for, but it wasn't long before Mrs. Weasley came running outside, stepping in between us, and screaming at us both for using magic so irresponsibly.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!" she shouted after taking away my wand (which I had begun to use) and then George's. "You're supoosed to be family, one way or the other! Yes, George, Brooke has a new boyfriend, but that doesn't give you the right to go zapping her." I smirked triumphantly, until Molly spun around to face me. "And you, Brooke Potter!" She stuck a finger in my face.

"Gilbert," I muttered benath my breath, staring at the fancy shoes I hadn't bothered to take off.

Molly sighed at my comment, dropping her bony finger. She took a step closer to me. "Brooke, we all understand what's happened to you, whether it be before or after the war. And I'm so happy you found a family. I'm also terribly sorry that they were taken from you so quickly. But please remember that we're your family, too, and that means that it was uncalled for to ignore us for so long." I nodded, not meeting her eyes. She took a step back.

"Now, hug it out the Weasley way, you two."

I looked up to find that George had turned a shade of a red out of embarrassment, as had I.

"Mum, I don't think that a very good idea-," he began, but Molly held a hand up. We both knew she would get what she wanted.

Hesitantly, we both stepped towards each other, and hugged each other in what was most probably the most awkward moment of my life. At least, it was, up until I wrapped my arms around George's torso, burying my face in his chest, and he began to stroke my hair. I'm pretty sure we both forgot about his mum, and, apparently, everyone else who had been watching the two of us from the open kitchen window since we had begun screaming at each other.

Remember what I said about the hug being the most awkward moment of my life? Scratch that. Pulling away from George after a hug like that to face my little brother and boyfriend was worse. I watched as Jeremy suddenly went tense, not entirely sure as to what was going on, but figured something was up. He turned to ask Damon, but shut his open mouth when Damon sent an icy glare in George's direction. Needless to say, Jer figured out the situation.

And then, of course, Fred, being the ever so suave and smooth talker that he was, cut the tension by speaking. "Well that wasn't nearly as fun as I thought it would be. I need to stop watching so much muggle daytime TV dramas."

Just as I opened my mouth to tell him to shut it, screaming was heard from the pitch-black sky. As it continued to grow louder, or closer, perhaps, everyone made their way outside the burrow to where George, Mrs. Weasley, and I were standing.

"What the hell is going on, Brooke?" Jeremy whispered in my ear.

I couldn't answer though. I was speechless, as was every person in the area, with the exception of Damon and Jeremy. Damon's pissed off state faded into a look of concern for me.

"Impossible," I whispered to myself, because what I then saw appear in the sky should have been impossible. What I saw appear in the sky was the dark mark, followed my blinking lights of wands, and shrieking dark figures moving towards us on brooms.

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUN!**

**Return of the death eaters, perhaps? We'll see, and please feel free to give me any suggestions as to what you want to happen next.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I am so sorry for not telling you guys that I was going out of town for 2 weeks! I should have let you know I wouldn't be updating until I got back! And now school is starting again for me, so chapters can either be shorter and more frequent, or longer and less frequent. Let me know in the reviews what you would prefer! Also, I'd like suggestions as to where you want me to go with this story!**

**And spoiler alert for next chapter: Brooke is going to be going through some VERY SERIOUS TRANSFORMATIONS. So, ponder over that. **

**By the way, I AM NOT UPDATING UNTIL I HAVE MORE REVIEWS! I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE READING SO PLEASE SAY SOMETHING.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8 **

As each witch and wizard in the group (basically everyone except Damon and Jeremy) began to process what was happening, we all drew out our wands.

"Hey, Brooke, wanna share what's going on?" Damon questioned, obviously about to vamp out at the incoming threat. It would be useless, though. A vampire against a group of deatheaters would be a slaughter. Damon wouldn't last a second. Nor would Jeremy. As I was about to tell them to get into the burrow, I heard a _crack! _behind me.

"Well, well. If it isn't the great Brooke Potter! Tell me, what are you going to do now that your dear godfather isn't hear to strike me and protect you?" Lucius Malfoy spoke in a taunting voice.

"I'll do it myself," I returned, whipping around ad punching him square in the jaw, then kicking him in the chest, sending him backwards. I was satisfied. Sure, maybe I wasn't ready to take on an original vampire, but it was nice to see my hunter training with Ric and Damon paying off somehow.

"Nice right hook," I heard Ron mumble, but it wasn't long after that we were all fighting off attacks from Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Augustus Rookwood, Rabastan Lestrange, Thorfinn Rowle, Walden Macnair, and Antonin Dolohov.

As each Weasley and Hemione shot off offensive spells at our enemies, I was on the defensive for Jeremy and Damon until I could get them to safety. Stunning Rookwood, I grabbed Jeremy and Damon forcefully, and pulled them behind a large bush in Mrs. Weasley's garden.

"You two need to get inside the house. Now," I spoke in an urgent manner.

"Are you insane, Brooke? I'm not just gonna let you-," Jeremy started, but was cut off by Damon.

""She's right, Jeremy. Don't argue with her. Just get in the house." Jeremy looked hesitant, but eventually sighed and sprinted off towards the large and crooked house not before giving me a quick hug and kiss on the forehead.

Damon turned his attention to me after he'd seen that Jeremy was safely in the house. "What do you need me to do?"

I looked at him like he had three heads. "You heard me! Get in the house!"

"Like hell! What do you think I'm gonna do, let you fight to the death out here?!"

"Um, yeah!" I shouted back at him over the sound of the chaos. He snorted. "In case you haven't noticed, this is kinda my area of expertise, SO GET YOUR ASS IN THAT HOUSE!"

He looked taken back by my sudden out burst, but didn't budge. Just then, I could hear Alecto burst through the bushed, shrieking, "Found you, Potter!"

"_Stupefy_," I muttered, not breaking eye contact with Damon. Alecto flew back several feet. "Don't make me force you," I warned Damon in a stern voice.

He held his ground. Bad choice.

"Oh well, you asked for it. _Wingardium Leviosa_." Suddenly, Damon was floating towards the safety of the house, where Jeremy was standing in a doorway, fearing Damon's now outraged mood.

"Brooke! BROOKE, DAMNIT! WHAT THE HELL-," but her was cutoff by the door slamming shut once he was in the burrow.

Now that I could focus, I hopped over Alecto's sleeping form, and jumped in on a fight between Dolohov and Ginny.

"Lover's quarrel?" she questioned as we dueled the deatheater.

"I guess you could call it that!" I shouted over the sound of spells. "He just needs to stop being so overprotective!"

"Ugh, I hated it when Dean was like that!" she returned. She stopped using magic for a moment, turning towards me. "Hey, your brother doesn't get like that, does he?"

"REALLY, GIN?! NOW IS WHEN YOU'RE GONNA ASK ME FOR REALTIONSHIP TIPS ABOUT MY BROTHER?!" I shot a last stunning spell at my opponent and he slumped to the ground.

She shrugged and looked around at what, only moments ago, was a magical battle. Each Weasley and Hermione looked slightly out of breath, looking down at the multiple deatheaters on the ground.

"So, um, anyone wanna tell me why these chumps aren't imprisoned anymore?" I questioned, looking at everyone.

"Lucius and his lackeys broke out of Azkaban about two weeks ago," spoke Fred, calmly.

"And no one thought to let me know?!" I demanded, stomping over Macnair stunned body.

"Um, you were kinda M.I.A., Brooke, in case you forgot," George reminded me.

I took a moment to think. "Oh, yeah…. Okay, my bad. Sorry for snapping."

"Hey, at least you didn't zap any of us," Ron snickered, looking between George and I. "I'm going to go Floo the aurors to come gets these gits." He walked into the house. Opening the door, Damon and Jeremy bolted outside towards me. Damon, using his vampire speed, obviously got to me first.

Grabbing my by the shoulders, he bean his routine interrogation for whenever I was in danger. "Are you okay?! Do you need any of my blood?! You're not dying, right?!"

I chuckled at his concern for my well-being. Taking his face in my hands, I said, "I'm fine. Like I said before, this is my area of expertise. It wasn't even close to some of the trouble I've been in before."

He nodded, and then pulled my into a tight hug. "Don't do that," he whispered into my hair. I rolled my eyes at his over-protectiveness. Vampires were one thing, but Damon really had no idea how easy that victory was for me. How adorable.

After a few more moments, we pulled away from each other. Everyone was staring. I rolled my eyes. Hermione giggled.

"Oh, crap!"

I turned quickly to face Ginny, who had made the remark. "What's wrong?"

"I forgot a pair of earrings at Hogwarts! Ugh! I'll have to go back to the castle next week."

I exhaled in relief. I'd thought someone had been hurt.

"I'll go, too. Slughorn wanted me to take another look at that charm that transfigured a kid into a warthog," announced George.

Fred sighed. "Does that mean I have to run the shop by myself that day?"

Jeremy cut in. "Wait, the joke shop, you mean? Brooke told me all about that! Do you mind if I help you out that day?" he asked pleadingly.

Fred shrugged. "Sure, knock yourself out. Not literally, though."

"Yeah, seriously. There's actually some stuff in there you can knock yourself out with," George warned.

"Hey, do you guys mind if I take a trip to the castle with you next week?" I questioned George and Ginny. "I didn't get a chance to ask McGonagall whether or not she'd heard anything about Stefan leaving a trail around Scotland."

Ginny and George exchanged a brief look, then both shrugged. "Spending a whole day stuck in a castle with just you and George. Alone. Oughta be fun," Ginny muttered, walking back into the burrow. I turned towards George.

"Do you have a problem with that?" I inquired.

He was hesitant for a moment, and in that moment, Damon took a step closer to me. Eventually George answered my question. "We'll make it work," he spoke with a smile. I smiled back towards him.

It was then that Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived with a team of aurors. After the deatheaters had been rounded up, and the aurors were gone, we all made our way inside the house.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It was later that night that I was relaxing in the bath in the lavatory next to Ginny's room. I was bunking with her for a week, as was Hermione. Jeremy and Damon were sharing Bill's old room since he and Fleur had gone home to their cottage after the ceremony.

As I let the warm water soak my skin, I thought about how I'd be able to survive this week. Damon was already getting jealous every time I even looked towards George, and he had good reason. I couldn't describe my feelings towards George at the moment, but one thing was for sure: they were more than friendly. I should have expected it all. Looking back on the day I killed Vold- _him, _I hadn't been exactly crystal clear when I broke it off with George.

_Oh, Merlin's beard, who are you kidding?! You were an incoherent ass!_

I sighed, and laid my head back against the porcelain bathtub. It was then that I heard two very familiar voices outside the door.

"Just do it, Ronniekins. It'll be a laugh."

"I don't know, Fred. Her brother said she's been training to hunt vampires. That means she can beat people up without magic, now! What if she finds out it was me?!" Ron's worried whisper grew more and more rushed.

"Then I get a better laugh than I thought. But really, how'll Brooke find out? You cast the charm under the bathroom door, and it'll turn any water in the room, such as that in her bath, into blue dye! Don't worry, I've been pranking Brooke since her third year! George and I would test a harmless product on her, she'd get a bit flustered, then eventually help us to perfect it."

"Speaking of George, why doesn't he do this with you?"

"Somebody say my name?" George had joined the conversation outside the bathroom door.

"Yes," his twin spoke. "Ronniekins here wants to know why he has to dye Brooke's skin blue instead of you."

"Simple, baby brother. I have absolutely no bloody idea where I stand with Brooke. So it's best I'm not associated with this situation."

"Gits," Ron muttered. "But honestly, what do you two think she'll do to me?"

That's when I decided to cut in. "Well, all I'll probably do is pour a bucket of spiders into your bed! It's not that bad!" I shouted through the door. Suddenly, I could no longer hear their voices. I could, however, practically feel their bodies stiffen with fear. "It's not exactly a soundproof door!" I added.

After a few more moments, a fourth set of footsteps could be heard approaching the three gingers.

"Hey, have you guys seen Brooke?" Damon's voice spoke.

"Um, yeah, sh-she's in the bathroom," Ron answered, still shaken from my threat.

"Okay, thanks." I could hear him place his hand on the doorknob.

"Wait a second, mate," George's voice started. Damon's hand on the doorknob stopped. "She's in there, as in, in the bath." I could imagine George's ears turn bright red as he tried to discreetly hint at my probable lack of clothing to Damon.

"Yeah, okay, I get it," Damon returned casually. I could see the doorknob turn again, and soon after, Damon entered the room, where my naked form was in his sight.

"Hey," I greeted him with a loving smile. You see, this wasn't the first time Damon had seen me indecent. The way I saw it, my body, or perhaps, Katherine's body, was nothing Damon hadn't seen before. And besides that, I'd been thinking about when Damon and I would, um, well, "do the deed," and I'd decided that time wouldn't be too far away. We'd talked about it a few weeks after Stefan had left with Klaus, and he'd told me that he'd wait as long as I needed.

"Hey, so I've been thinking, should I go with you to Hogwarts next week? Will it be safe?" Damon questioned worriedly, squatting down next the bath to peck my cheek.

I giggled at his concern, and then answered. "Don't worry. Hogwarts is the safest place on Earth. I could be going with two monkeys and be in no danger. But I'm not going with monkeys, I'm going with two of the most skilled wizards I know. The three of us fought together in the war. We're fine." I raised my hand from the water to lay it on his cheek.

Damon took a long, deep breath, and then nodded, obviously still not entirely convinced. "Speaking of, um, well, George, what's up between you and him?"

I dropped my hand from his faces, and my eyes met his. I immediately sat up straighter, and spoke. "Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

He put his hands up as if surrendering to captors. "Okay, okay! No need to get defensive! I'm just making sure I don't need to worry about your ex-boyfriend on top of everything else that's going on."

"Well, you don't," I assured him. "In fact, besides our little 'zap-out' today, George has been really nice about this whole situation. He's handling it very maturely," I said matter-of-factly.

"If you say so," he returned. "Listen, I'm gonna head out for a few hours to uh, feed." I shot him a look, so he continued with, "Don't worry! Not people, just animals tonight." I nodded, and as he turned to walk out the bathroom door after kissing me on the cheek once more, he quickly asked, "Hey, are there any magical animals I should know about?"

After thinking about it for a moment, I answered, "Only eat the things that you've found in the forest by the Boarding house. Nothing you haven't seen before, and nothing that can talk."

He nodded, wished me goodnight, and left. A few minutes later, when the bath water had been drained, and I was clad in a robe I'd borrowed from Ginny, I made my way to her room. Once inside, she nearly jumped on me.

"Bloody hell, Brooke! He saw you naked?! You guys have shagged?!" Ginny looked as if she were about to pee herself in excitement over my currently non-existent sex life. Boy, was I about to burst her bubble.

"No, Ginny, we haven't shagged!" I announced in a loud whisper. "what would make you think that?!"

"Well, a little while ago, Fred, George, and Ron all came in here. You should have seen their faces! Fred couldn't stop giggling like a little school girl, George looked as if he'd seen a ghost, and Ron was blushing a shade of red I'd never seen before! When I asked them what the problem was, they told me that Damon just walked into the bathroom… while you were naked in there! I swear, I think George is scarred for life at the thought of another bloke seeing you naked, and Ron's scarred from just thinking about you naked!" Ginny finished her assessment with a snicker.

"Oh, yeah, well," I started as my face turned beat-red, "Damon and I haven't done _that_…yet. But, I don't have a problem if he sees me like that. Remember? I told you about his relationship with my doppelganger in 1864?"

"Oh, yeah… okay. Does that mean you two are gonna get it on soon?"

"Ginny!" I hissed.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

It was two days later, a nice, quiet Sunday. Mrs. Weasley was preparing a large family (and extended family) dinner. The rest of us were outside by the garden, doing something. Mr. Weasley was at the patio table examining a toaster. He took notes as Jeremy, who was helping him with his research, explained which foods to put in the toaster. Ginny was also at the table, trying to look interested in what Jeremy was saying. Her obvious crush on him was cute to us all.

Fred and George were using Ron to test a 'harmless' new product a few feet away. Hermione watched, not even trying to conceal his laughter as his eyebrows turned different colors of the rainbow. Damon was training me right next to the patio. I punched a stake towards him, which he quickly deflected with ease. This was embarrassing. He had to go easy on me. I tried it again, quicker, put he simply took hold of the stake, and then my arm.

He shook his head. "Sloppy," he commented with a frown.

"Ugh," I complained. Every once in a while, the others outside would look up from what they were doing to watch him pathetic attempt to attack Damon.

"Why does she have to train to fight physically?" George called over.

"Yeah, can't she just magic her way out of a fight with a vampire?" added Fred.

I quickly answered, "It's because there are some magical beings on the same side as the people who might want me dead if they find out I'm alive. So if they figure out to suspend my magic, I'm screwed." It was then that I shot the stake at Damon again. Instead of just holding it, this time he ripped it out of my hand, took control of my wrist, pulled my back towards his chest, and spoke in my ear, "Bang! You're dead." With that, he playfully pretended to bite my neck. I giggled and pushed him away.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jeremy roll his eyes, and George look away, as if the sight pained him. I realized it would probably be fair to turn the flirting down a notch in front of him.

Damon handed me the stake back, and I resumed my failed attacks.

"Hey, Damon," started Jeremy, "what do you thing Klaus is even doing in Scotland anyway?"

"No idea," he answered back, dodging yet another one of my blows. "Maybe he likes-AHHHH!"

"Damon! Shit!" I exclaimed. In the moment where he'd been distracted by his conversation with Jeremy, I'd managed to stake him right in the stomach. He dropped to his knees, groaning. As each other person sprinted to where we were, I dropped to my knees beside my boyfriend.

"Are you okay? What can I do? It's not in your heart, so you're not gonna die. I promise. But what do I do?" I asked frantically.

"You can pull the stake out of me," he squeaked painfully, eyes shut tight.

"Um, okay, sure," I spoke back hesitantly. It was then that I griped the stake, and then ripped it out of his abdomen. As he released another agonizing groan, I repeated, "Sorry," over and over again.

"It's alright, no harm done," he assured me as he collapsed onto his back. "Well, a little harm, but nothing major." I laughed at his reaction to the situation. "Just- just gimme a second to, uh, yeah. Just a second."

I sat back on my feet beside him as I watched him lay there, catching his breath.

"Do you want some blood?" I offered.

"No, I'm fine," he lied.

"Damon, it doesn't matter if you drink some of my blood. It won't kill me. Plus, after that, you could really use it after that," I pushed.

He opened his eyes, and sternly told me, "No, Brooke. If Klaus finds out you're alive, he'll want you dead again. You don't know when you're gonna need your own blood."

"Fine," I spat. "Just lie there and be in pain."

"Gladly," he tossed back sarcastically.

It was then that Ron spoke. "Wow, you two are like an old married couple. A really, really dysfunctional magic and murderous old married couple."

"You bet," Damon acknowledged as he rose from the ground. I rose next to him. "Alright, all good now."

We all nodded, and then went back to what we were doing. Damon and I, however, decided to take a break from our training, and talk about what Klaus and Stefan would be doing tearing Scotland apart.

After about an hour, when our conversation had long since ended, when Mr. Weasley was one with his muggle research for the day, and when the twins were done product-testing, we all quickly grew bored beyond belief.

It was then that Ron made a suggestion. "How about we play some quidditch?"

I looked around. Fred, George, and Ginny all seemed to like the idea, as did I. Ginny then announced, "But we have an odd number of players." It was true, we would never convince Hermione to play, and Damon and Jeremy couldn't fly.

"So we'll floo Bill. He and Fleur are coming for dinner tonight anyway. We'll just play three-on-three. Two chasers and one keeper per team."

"Sounds great, except, I don't know how to play chaser," I said.

"Oh don't worry, I'm sure your adorable little seeker talents will help you out," Ginny spoke back mockingly.

I smiled back sarcastically, but nodded at Ron's idea.

**~stoppingtosmellroses~**

Bill and Fleur had arrived, bringing an extra broom for me. We'd divided into teams. Ginny, Bill, and Ron vs. Fred, George, and I. Keepers were Ron and Fred. Everyone else was a chaser.

"So, how does this game work again?" inquired Damon.

"Well, it's a modified version, mate," began George.

"You see," Fred spoke, "Brooke, George, Bill, and Ginny will trying to hit the quaffle into their opposing team's hoop-."

"Which we've set up on the field, as you can see," George cut in. "And then Fred and Ron try to keep the quaffle out of their team's hoop."

Damon nodded. "Okay, got it. Thanks."

"I guess I'll keep score," said Hermione.

It was then that we each mounted our brooms and assumed starting position for our little changed up game of Quidditch. Hermione bellowed at us to start, and we did. Gerge and I were the first to take control of the quaffle, and immediately scored through the hoop past Ron, earning our team ten points. We probably wouldn't have if Ginny had been paying attention to the game instead of my brother, who looked on, intrigued.

Once her head was back in the game, she steered the quaffle towards our hoop, with the help of Bill. George and I quickly flew to our end of the field to help Fred, a beater, not a keeper, defend the hoop. Ginny sent the quaffle headed straight towards the hoop. Unfortunately for her, something was in the way, stopping the quaffle. Unfortunately for me, I was that thing. The quaffle immediately knocked me off the broom, I plummeted towards the ground 40 feet below me. I was caught by something, though. George had flown down and snatched my hand in his. He hovered in the air until my broom made its way back to me.

"Thanks for the save," I called to him over the noise of the game.

"No problem!" he called back, tossing me the bludger he had gained control of. "Anything to beat the other team to a pulp, right?" he laughed.

I laughed as well, and soon, Fred, who had heard the conversation, joined in our giggles. It was true. Over the past few years on the Gryffindor quidditch team, the twins and I had become somewhat in sync on the pitch. By this, I mean they would purposely try to hit the opposing team's seeker with the bludger, allowing me to easily grab the snitch. Their favorite target was one Draco Malfoy. It was also known by our team that the three of us preferred to stay close during the game, in case one of us needed a quick save, such as the one George just executed.

After about another hour of playing, the score was now 60-60, and the quaffle was now flying around wildly, and Bill and I were both chasing after it, reminding me of my days as a seeker when I would be at a head-to-head chase for the snitch. It was then that a light bulb went off in my head. I would try something I used to do for the extra reach for the desired object.

I tightened my grip on my broom, and slowly began to rise to my feet on it. Bill, flying beside me, looked confused as to what I was doing.

"Oh, bloody hell, no!" I could hear the twins shout from a distance.

As we soared past Hermione, Damon, Jeremy, Fleur, and Mr. Weasley, I could hear my boyfriend ask Hermione, "Um, is that safe?"

Hermione, now 20 feet below where I was flying standing on my broom, attempting to balance, didn't bother answering him. Instead, she screamed to me, "BROOKE POT-GILBERT, I MEAN, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! YOU KNOW IT'S DANGEROUS! THIS ISN'T SCHOOL QUIDDITCH ANYMORE, WHERE EVEN IF YOU BREAK YOUR BONES, EVERYONE AT BREAKFAST THE NEXT DAY THINKS YOU'RE REALLY COOL! YOU'RE A GROWN WOMAN NOW, SO ACT LIKE IT!"

"Who are you?! My mum?!" I shouted back. "Don't be such a killjoy!" I then continued to reach for the quaffle.

Just as my hand grabbed it, I could hear her mutter, "You're gonna fall."

And I did. Not, however, before chucking the quaffle past Ron and into the hoop, winning my team the game. After that glorious moment of the triumph I felt, I realized tht I was no longer on my broom.

_ Oh, shit._

This time, there was no one close enough to me to catch me. Bill had slowed down, in shock as to what I was doing, and Ginny, George, and Fred were out of the scoring zone. Ron was all the way by the hoop.

I tumbled into the grass harshly, hearing a crack or two when my body made contact with the ground. When I finally stopped rolling, I was lying flat on my back. Damon was the first at my side, having used his vampire speed, and was soon followed by anyone with a broom in their possession. It wasn't long before Jeremy, Hermione, Mr. Weasley, and Fleur were there, too.

"Brooke, Brooke! Are you okay? Can you hear me?!" Damon asked urgently, taking my face in his hands.

Everyone grew quiet around me for a few moments, hoping I was okay.

I responded by bursting into hysterical laughter, soon followed by all my fellow quidditch players. Damon looked on in shock at my reaction, and Hermione began shrieking at me once more.

"See?! I told you this would happen! When the last time you even flew on a broom? A year ago? And you thought you could try some fancy tricks like that? I don't think so! You've probably broke half the bones in your body!"

My laughter as well as the others' did not cease. It became so hysterical that I literally began to roll over. It was when I winced that Mr. Weasley cut in.

"Here, Brooke, let me have a look." He began to check for broken bones.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" asked George through his laughter. "What, did you think that that would get cooler looking as you got older?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Yeah, pretty much," I answered through my giggles.

"Your problem is that you're too proud!" Hermione cut in. "You'll do anything if it means winning the game!"

"Is that a problem?" Fred asked her. "It kinda won us a few quidditch matches at school."

"You know it," I agreed, sitting up, and high-fiving both of the twins. "I mean, c'mon, 'Mione, the unbeatable beaters and the glamorous chosen one all on the same team? With a reputation like that, how can we afford to lose?"

"She's got a point," added George.

"Um, no! No, she doesn't!" snapped Damon. "You nearly just got yourself killed! Are you trying to do Klaus' job for him?"

"Oh, relax, Grumpy," I tossed back at him. "If you saw any of our quidditch matches on the Gryffindor team, you'd realize that what just happened was nothing," I reasoned, but he didn't answer. Instead, he was glaring daggers at an oblivious George, the one who had realized that I wasn't a china doll. George knew I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and if I really needed help badly, I would most likely ask for it. Although, I think that impression of me had most probably derived from my fifth year, when I had joined the fight against the Slytherin quidditch team and been banned from playing along side he and Fred.

Sighed in discontent at Damon's reaction to George's feelings about my fall. "Awkwaaaaaaard," I spoke in a sing-song voice.

It was then that Mr. Weasley spoke up. "I'm pretty sure she's broken a bone somewhere in her right leg. She'll have to be taken to St. Mungo's. Boys," he looked towards Fred and George, "you know what to do. I'll go let your mother know that Brooke won't be spending dinner tonight with us."

"Oh, uh, count us out, too, Dad. It's probably best we stay there," spoke George. He then helped me to my feet, supporting my right side.

"Wait a second, what the hell is St. Mango's?" inquired Damon harshly.

"It's St. _Mungo's,_" corrected Ginny. "And it's a magical hospital. It'll have Brooke's leg healed in a day's time."

He nodded, looking at me. "How are you getting there?"

I looked towards Fred and George. "Apparating?" I asked them.

"Oh, yeah, what a brilliant idea!" said Fred. "We'll magically teleport ourselves in a way that will end in you landing on your broken leg! I swear, you're as smart as Merlin himself sometimes!" The sarcasm poured from his mouth.

"Oh, shut it!" I snapped, laughing once more.

"Relax, you two. We can apparate, and Brooke won't land on her leg 'cause I'll be carrying her," spoke George. With this statement, I could see Damon stiffen. Although, in that moment, I didn't really care. I was just realizing how much my leg hurt, and Damon couldn't apparate.

"Ooh, not having to walk, I like the sound of this already," I agreed.

The three of us told the others we'd see them when they came by the hospital later. George then said, "Alright, Miss show-off, let's get you some help," and he then lifted me up bridal style. I could hear Ron mumble something along the lines of "George carrying Brooke off the quidditch pitch: _there's_ something I've never seen before." I rolled my eyes at the same time George did, and we both laughed. Fred placed a hand on his twin's shoulder, and waved his wand, apparating the three of us to the St. Mungo's waiting room.


End file.
